Why Baking Your Spaghetti Sauce is a Game Changer

Traditional Italian red sauce is usually simmered for hours, but sometimes, you just don't have the luxury of spending a whole day cooking. After diving into the history of Italian cuisine, I discovered how pasta sauces were made before modern stoves became common.

In southern Italy, particularly around Naples, the practice of 'cucina povera'—or the 'poor kitchen'—meant preparing food in simple ways, like cooking sauce in a stone oven or over an open fire. This gave rise to what we might now call 'baked' pasta sauce, though some used embers or enclosed pots to slowly cook the sauce.

This recipe is a departure from the slow-simmered, traditional method, but it offers a fun nod to the past with a quick shortcut that delivers a rich, slow-cooked flavor in about 45 minutes. While it doesn’t replicate the exact texture of an all-day sauce, the oven method intensifies the tomatoes, creating a thick, concentrated sauce in much less time.

In an unexpected twist from classic Italian cooking, I add butter to this sauce. Though not traditional, the butter works wonders by browning in the oven, adding a rich, toasty depth that mimics the flavors of a long-simmered sauce. Just don’t let my Nonna find out!

How to Prepare Spaghetti Sauce in the Oven

Ingredients List:

One 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

Three cloves of garlic, smashed

One large sprig of fresh basil

4 tablespoons of butter, cut into cubes

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

A pinch of chili flakes or a small spoonful of Calabrian chili paste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a large glass baking dish, combine crushed tomatoes, garlic, basil, butter, salt, pepper, and chili. Stir well to mix.
3. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through and scraping down the sides. Remove the basil before serving.
4. To serve: Cook 8 oz of pasta according to the package instructions, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. In a large pot, combine the pasta with the sauce, making sure to scrape out all the delicious caramelized bits from the baking dish. Add a splash of pasta water and toss vigorously, adding more as needed to achieve a smooth, silky sauce that clings to the pasta without being too watery. Top with grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and enjoy!