This spicy 30 minute tomato sauce is filled with fresh tomato flavor, crushed red pepper and a hint of smoked paprika…
Tomato sauce simmering away on the stove might just be on the best smells known to man. When I first moved to New York I was a live-in nanny. Coming from Ohio I wasn’t really used to the sights and sounds that came from an Italian kitchen. Large pots of sauce simmering away with sausage, pork braciole and big fat homemade meatballs.My boss would make these giant pots of sauce, freeze them in leftover Chinese food containers and then I would raid the freezer and make pasta with sauce any chance I could get.
Fast forward to current day and I still dream about that sauce. I’m sure I could just call up my old boss and ask for the recipe but I’m pretty sure even if I followed that recipe to the T it wouldn’t taste the same. There are just some recipes that never taste the same coming out of my kitchen – my dads friend chicken, my moms mac and cheese, my bosses sauce and my grandmothers full Southern breakfast spread.
Even thought I love that slow simmered sauce sometimes life does not really allow for all that time. So I came up with this quick 30-minute sauce instead. Plus I added a little smoked paprika and crushed red pepper because I’m obsessed with smoked paprika and I love heat. This is the (quick) sauce of my dreams. It’s great on pasta, pizza or just eaten fresh out of the pot with a spoon.
Spicy 30 Minute Tomato Sauce
Tomato sauce has never been so easy! This spicy 30 minute tomato sauce is ready in no time and is perfect when served over pasta, pizza or on a spoon.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
Directions:
In a high sided skillet set over medium heat add olive oil.
Once the oil is hot add onion, garlic, smoked paprika and crushed red pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft.
Add in crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, sugar and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the sauce is thickened and flavorful.
Taste the sauce before serving. If the flavor is too acidic simply add another 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
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