Comments on: Emerils Basic Red Sauce

By: Elle S.

Elle S. — Wed, 18 May 2011 11:27:37 +0000

I am also a big fan of Emeril! He infuses such an authenticity into his dishes. And few celebrity chefs are as charismatic as he is! Anyhoo, I just wanted to say that no, you are not the only one cooking homemade sauce these days. I have been making homemade marinara and red sauces since the age of 16! Of course, like a good Merlot, it has only improved over time and with age. By the way, in my opinion, canned tomatoes (just straight up tomatoes) are as good as fresh whole tomatoes. So, let’s just call it “from scratch”. The hard work of cooking/peeling the tomatoes and pureeing them has been done for you, but they’re still just plain ol’ tomatoes! Thanks for posting this recipe! Keep em’ coming!

By: Lynn

Lynn — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:33:18 +0000

Paula, yes I guess I should use a better term when speaking about processed things. I use canned tomatoes, sauces, and paste because that is all that is in them. Just pure tomatoe products. Yes they are processed b/c they are canned. But they do not contain all the extra things ingredients and preservatives that canned spag. sauces do. I hope that answers your question. If not let me know.

By: PaulaK

PaulaK — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:41:29 +0000

Aren’t tomato sauce and tomato paste also processed? Just asking. I’m really not sure but thought anything in a can was!

By: SentimentsbyDenise

SentimentsbyDenise — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:54:33 +0000

We’ve been making our own homemade sauce for a long time – and you’re right, it does taste so much better than store bought. I love that I can control the salt and seasonings. I’ve never used a recipe, just tossed in the ingredients until it tasted just right!
I do the same with pizza sauce, which I make just a bit spicier than pasta sauce!
Thanks for sharing!

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:17:30 +0000

I make my own sauce. Most of the time I will throw in some zucchini, squash, onion, pepper, mushrooms and any other veggies that need to be used up making a veggie sauce. Most of the time I throw in a little meat too. Much better than you can buy in the jar and freezes well too for that quick meal.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:09:20 +0000

I’ve been making my own for years, though I usually use pureed tomatoes instead of diced or whole (unless they’re coming from the garden!), since I prefer my sauce smooth. Or at least with the lumps coming from onion and such, not the tomatoes.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:20:43 +0000

I just caught your banana chocolate cookie recipe over at Cents to Get Debt Free and thought I’d let you know how yummy they sound.
I also agree that homemade sauce is much better than anything you can buy in a jar!

By: Sheri

Sheri — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:15:35 +0000

I have been reading your blog for about a month, but I think this is the first time I commented.
I also make my own spaghetti sauce. I do not follow a recipe however, but I think it is pretty much the same as yours. Sometimes I only use 1 can of diced tomatoes and add 1 can of crushed or pureed to give it a smoother texture. It is so yummy!
Funny thing though, as much as I love this sauce recipe, for our “everyday” quick spaghetti we just use plain old tomato sauce from the can and we eat it out of a bowl, since it is so runny. My dad was the spaghetti maker in our family and this was how he would make it for lunch every Saturday. It sounds weird, but my family likes it, it is simple, quick, cheap, and does not have any additives or high fructose corn syrup (yuck!). My grandma uses tomato juice! That is yummy too!

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:56:29 +0000

My mom never used jarred sauce and neither have I. I have even passed this tradition on to my children.

By: Kat

Kat — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:42:58 +0000

Don’t you just love how Emeril makes it so easy? I LOVE his cookbooks. I make his “essence” all the time – its always in my spice cabinet.