Sauces and Condiments Sauces Pasta Sauces Tomato Italian Tomato Sauce 4.7 (9) 5 Reviews 3 Photos This is the best tomato sauce recipe. We had this every Wednesday when I was growing up. The secret ingredient is nutmeg — just a pinch. Delicious! Serve it over spaghetti. Submitted by cuttnshowmom Updated on April 5, 2023 Save Rate Print Share Close Add Photo 3 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Total Time: 50 mins Servings: 10 Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 10 servings 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, diced ¼ cup chopped celery 1 small garlic clove, minced 1 pound ground beef 40 ounces Italian-style stewed tomatoes 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste 1 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms, or to taste ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste ¼ cup parsley 1 ½ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon white sugar ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon dried oregano ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon baking soda, or to taste Directions Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, celery, and garlic in hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add beef and cook, stirring to break into small chunks, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes more. Stir stewed tomatoes and tomato paste with beef mixture until smooth; add mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, sugar, nutmeg, oregano, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is flavorful, about 10 minutes. Stir baking soda into the sauce. Continue cooking until you can taste a reduction in acidity of the sauce, about 10 minutes more. Tips Baking soda helps to neutralize acid in tomatoes, making the sauce more palatable. Add soda in very small increments and cook sauce for several minutes after adding. Taste and add more soda if desired, but sauce will tend to be more or less acrid, depending on the quality of the tomatoes and paste. I freeze the remainder and simply defrost and heat it in the microwave. This can be done several times and it is as good as a leftover as it is when it is first made. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water toward the end of cooking. If too thin, cook uncovered for about 15 minutes. Use whatever ground meat you prefer. This works with beef, turkey, or chicken. I Made It Print 22 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 201 Calories 10g Fat 18g Carbs 13g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 10 Calories 201 % Daily Value * Total Fat 10g 12% Saturated Fat 3g 17% Cholesterol 32mg 11% Sodium 980mg 43% Total Carbohydrate 18g 6% Dietary Fiber 3g 11% Total Sugars 12g Protein 13g 25% Vitamin C 20mg 22% Calcium 108mg 8% Iron 3mg 16% Potassium 565mg 12% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.