Basic Pasta Sauce—Nothing Fancy Here!

Name: Basic Pasta Sauce—Nothing Fancy Here!
Yield: makes about 3 1/2 cups
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium white onion, chopped; 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in purée; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 stalk celery, minced; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon salt; 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

January 24, 2012

Cooks' Note

If you wish to add meat to the sauce, cut it into bite-size pieces and brown well. Add the meat to the sauce after sautéeing the onion and parsley and increase the amount of time the sauce simmers to about 30 minutes. Served over pasta made from stone-ground wholewheat flour, this would serve 4 to 6.

Recipe notes

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Okonomiyaki Tater Tots

Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Sheet-Pan Chicken Souvlaki

Tender, juicy chicken skewers are possible in the oven—especially when roasted alongside spiced chickpeas and finished with fresh tomatoes and salty feta.

Mascarpone Cheesecake

An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.

Crispy Salmon With Avocado Sauce

You’ll want to put this creamy (but dairy-free) green sauce on everything and it’s particularly sublime under crispy-skinned salmon.