Ciao, bella! Are you ready to learn about authentic Italian food? 

Everyone loves pasta with homemade sauce. But if made incorrectly, a spaghetti sauce can be bland and unappetizing. But when you get it right, it's flavorful, savory, and downright delicious.   

Keep reading to learn what makes up a traditional spaghetti sauce. 

High-Quality Ingredients 

For a spaghetti sauce like this, you need to use high-quality ingredients. Because if you use okay ingredients, the taste of your dish will suffer.  

If you have a specialty Italian shop in your area, check it out and see if they have what you need. If not, go to your local grocery store and choose the freshest ingredients you can find.  

And if you want the perfect vehicle for your fresh Italian sauce, try to make your own pasta! 

Olive Oil, Garlic, and Onion 

Extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, and Spanish onions are the foundation of a spaghetti sauce. They go in the pot first to flavor the oil and later the entire sauce. 

And pro tip: put the olive oil and the finely chopped onions in first. Wait until the onions become translucent, and then add your minced garlic. That way, you'll avoid burning your garlic. 

Different Types of Tomatoes 

When making a sauce, there are many forms of canned tomatoes you will need. These include pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes.

You'll also want to get the brand San Marzano. It's the highest quality canned tomatoes you can buy! 

But if you can't get your hands on San Marzano, get the next best thing. However, this means that you'll have to add sugar to your recipe. Lower-quality tomatoes tend to be very acidic, so you'll have to balance out the flavors.  

Spices and Wine 

A great pasta sauce will always have Kosher salt, black pepper, and basil leaves. But if you're looking to add a few more spices, you can never go wrong with red pepper flakes, oregano, and thyme. These lift the flavor of the sauce and give it different depths. 

And if you're feeling like your sauce needs even more dimension, add some wine. White wine will give your sauce a fruity taste, whereas red wine will give it a richness. 

Grated Cheese 

A pasta sauce isn't complete without some freshly grated cheese on top. So instead of buying pre-shredded cheese, get a whole block of cheese and grate it yourself. 

Cheeses that will best compliment your sauce are Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano. 

Now You Know What's in a Traditional Spaghetti Sauce 

If your traditional spaghetti sauce has all these ingredients, it's sure to be a big success.

And before you know it, you'll be cooking like a true Italian. Just don't forget to use the best ingredients you can find and infuse it with a little bit of love. Now, mangia! 

If you're in the Portland Oregon area, make sure you check out our menu full of amazing pasta dishes.