The classic spaghetti in red sauce tastes best with the homemade tomato sauce and loads of grated Parmesan cheese! And if the tomato sauce is made from your own home-grown fresh San Marzano tomatoes, things go to a new level altogether!
As promised, here is the recipe of classic Italian spaghetti in red sauce but not just any red sauce! This special spaghetti in red sauce is made with my homemade tomato sauce and it can’t get any better than this!
I could hardly wait to share this recipe of spaghetti in red sauce with you all and here I’m today writing it down for my lovely readers! If you are a pasta lover, then this is the ultimate recipe for you which you can’t afford to miss at any cost!
The primary ingredient to make this spaghetti in red sauce is of course red sauce which is also called marinara sauce and I have a full-proof recipe of the same for you guys. I have made this marinara sauce with our local tomatoes as well as fresh Italian San Marzano tomatoes and both the versions turned out extremely well.
I used to hate spaghetti in red sauce served in the Italian restaurants here as I found them too sour or bland for my liking; finally, I have cracked down my own version of this classic spaghetti in red sauce and I just can’t have enough of it!
Whenever I went to any Italian restaurant here, I always opted for the safe bet and that is either the classic pasta in white sauce or basil pesto pasta. But this homemade spaghetti in red sauce has entirely changed my perspective.
I used to wonder why this red sauce pasta is so popular globally and now I know the reason! This homemade marinara sauce makes all the difference. I will never ever put my hands on those bottled marinara sauce available in the supermarkets again!
During my short stint in Greece, I tasted various pasta dishes and found few favorites of mine. I even bought few packets of dry pastas to bring back home and this spaghetti I used today is one of them.
I really regret for not making a quick visit to the land of origin of pastas & pizzas being so close to it [I was with lack of company you know!]; I could have discovered more about the world-famous Italian cuisine.
But that’s definitely in my future travel plans with the dream of exploring more of that historic country, its culture and food. Italy, just wait for me!
If you don’t have a packet of spaghetti handy, do not worry; this tomato sauce can be used with any kind of pastas – short or long. So, instead of spaghetti in red sauce you can make your own version of penne in red sauce or linguine in red sauce and many more.
This marinara or red sauce, whichever name you are comfortable with, is a universal condiment and can be used in thousand other ways. I use this same red sauce for my homemade pizzas or sometimes in chicken & rice casseroles and it works like a charm!
Only thing I would recommend is to use a good quality of parmesan cheese as it makes hell lot of difference to the final taste. Try to pick up those gourmet cheeses from the specialized cheese bars; that may be a few extra bucks but totally worth it!
I wanted to keep this recipe of spaghetti in red sauce quite simple and only highlight the magic of red sauce; that’s the primary reason for keeping the ingredient list short & neat with only few bite-sized pieces of chicken sausages and nothing else.
The saucy sausages added extra flavor to the saucy pasta making the whole spaghetti in red sauce experience extra special!
This spaghetti marinara is an ideal dinner option for your busy nights and that’s because you can prepare the tomato sauce ahead of time and store it in freezer for really long time.
I generally make a large batch of this red sauce and store them in small containers ideal for single use; so it is essentially as easy as taking out a box from the freezer; hence this spaghetti in red sauce is done so quick that dinner will take only as long as it takes to boil the pasta to be served on the table.
You can also freeze the leftover spaghetti; just sprinkle more freshly grated Parmesan cheese before reheating the pasta while eating next time. You can even customize this recipe of spaghetti in red sauce by incorporating your innovative ideas into it if you have some time to indulge!
But don’t overpower the sauce with other strong aromatics as then you won’t be able to get the unique essence of the fresh sauce. Some creative options could be adding some white wine & heavy cream to make it a creamy tomato pasta or sprinkle some red hot pepper flakes to make a spicy tomato pasta. Options are practically endless & you are the boss! Enjoy!
- Spaghetti – 250 gms
- Marinara sauce – 1 & ½ cup or more if required
- Parmesan cheese – ½ cup, grated
- Chicken sausage – 150 gms
- Basil leaves – 1 cup, tightly packed
- Extra virgin olive oil – 2 tsp plus more for drizzling
- Salt and freshly crushed black pepper to taste
- Cook the spaghetti as per the package instructions in heavily salted boiling water until al dente i.e. soft but still retain a bite. Make sure to reserve a cup of pasta boiling water before draining the pasta. Set the drained pasta aside.
- Fry the chicken sausages in 1 teaspoon of olive oil until brown for about 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook. Cut the cooked chicken sausages into bite size pieces. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a deep pot and add the marinara sauce. Once the sauce is warmed, add the cooked pasta and toss in the sauce with the help of a tong. Add the chicken sausage and season with salt and pepper.
- Tear the basil leave roughly and sprinkle over the spaghetti. Add half of the grated parmesan cheese and give a final toss to coat everything thoroughly with the sauce. Check and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve your spaghetti in red sauce on individual plates, drizzle some more extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with remaining grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
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