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Francis Ford Coppola’s Spaghetti Sauce

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 4 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs 15 mins
Cooking Method:
Cuisine: ,
Courses: ,
Difficulty: Beginner
Servings: 10
Calories: 280
Best Season: Suitable throughout the year
Dietary: Dairy-free
Description

A long-simmered, classic red sauce attributed to filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola — garlic and onion sautéed in olive oil, simmered with red wine, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and basil for three to four hours with crumbled sweet Italian sausage. A family-tested addition of a bay leaf rounds it out nicely.

Ingredients
  • 3 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. Garlic, minced
  • 1 1/4 Cups Onion, chopped
  • 1 Cup Red wine
  • 28 oz. Italian tomatoes, canned
  • 6 oz. Tomato paste, canned
  • 1 Tbsp. Dried sweet basil
  • Salt, pepper, and sugar, to taste
  • 1 1/2 lbs lbs. Sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing and crumbled
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving
  • Spaghetti, for serving
Instructions
  1. 1
    Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over low heat.
  2. 2
    Add the garlic and onions, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are translucent.
  3. 3
    Stir in the wine.
  4. 4
    Add the Italian tomatoes and tomato paste. Rinse the remnants of paste out of the can with a little water and add that to the pot too.
  5. 5
    Add the basil, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.
  6. 6
    When the sauce comes to a light boil, add the crumbled Italian sausage and the bay leaf.
  7. 7
    Simmer over low heat for three to four hours, stirring occasionally and adding water if the sauce becomes too thick.
  8. 8
    During the last hour or so, correct the seasonings and partly cover the pot.
  9. 9
    Serve over spaghetti with grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 10

Amount Per Serving
Calories 280kcal
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Cholesterol 30mg10%
Sodium 560mg24%
Total Carbohydrate 16g6%
Dietary Fiber 3g12%
Sugars 6g
Protein 14g29%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

The bay leaf is a family addition to the original recipe, added in with the meat. Sugar is typically omitted, as the long simmer naturally sweetens the tomatoes.

Keywords: Francis Ford Coppola spaghetti sauce recipe, Times Picayune Italian sauce, long simmered red sauce, Italian sausage spaghetti sauce, classic homemade marinara, slow simmered tomato sauce
Read it online: https://thefamilyrecipebook.com/recipe/recipes-francis-ford-coppolas-spaghetti-sauce/