I owe a debt of gratitude to my friend Carol Bommarito, who insisted on teaching me her most beloved Sicilian recipes before we moved overseas. The only question that remains is how much sweet is too much in this delectable sauce.

Serves: 8-10 guests

Tools:

Stock pot or dutch oven

good chef’s knife

cutting board

long handled spoon

Hand blender

Ingredients:

1 28 ounce can tomato puree or 16 ounce tomato paste

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes or whole tomatoes

1/4 to 1/3 cup fine granulated sugar – as you like

3 + cloves of garlic minced

a large bunch of Italian sweet basil – finely chopped

salt & pepper to taste

1 kilo of ground beef (if you want to make a meat sauce)

To make sauce:

Start by sautéing the garlic lightly over medium heat. I like to add some finely minced onion as well. Once fragrant, add all canned tomatoes. Stir until combined. Use a hand blender to puree the sauce.

Using the empty cans, add two full of filtered water to create a very thin consistency.

Add basil, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir well.

Cook on medium to low heat for 8 to 10 hours total. Leave the top off to allow moisture to evaporate making a thick sauce.

For meat sauce: In a separate pan, brown meat without oil. Drain and add to the sauce. Continue to cook.

Serve with your favorite pasta or freeze for later. This sauce is even better the second day.