grandma maggio's spaghetti sauce

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 whole head garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, or to taste
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 3/4 cup merlot
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 cup white sugar

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Ready Time: 55 mins


• heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, and cook and stir the onion and garlic until translucent but not browned, 6 to 7 minutes. stir in the mushrooms and basil, and cook and stir until the basil is wilted and the mushrooms are cooked through and have given up their juices, about 10 minutes.
• pour in the whole peeled tomatoes, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring and chopping the tomatoes into pieces with a spoon. pour in the tomato sauce and stir, crushing any large pieces of tomato left, and bring to a simmer. let the sauce simmer until slightly thickened and bubbling, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• stir the tomato paste into the sauce, and fill the empty tomato paste can with merlot , stirring to dissolve any remaining tomato paste in the can. pour the merlot into the sauce, and stir well to combine. bring the sauce back to a simmer, and stir in the salt, pepper, dried oregano, and sugar. let the sauce simmer until the seasonings are blended and the sauce is heated through, about 3 more minutes.