If 10 people post, you'll get ten "best" spaghetti sauces. Here's mine (from my Sicilian grandmother Vittoria):

VITTORIA'S SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Serves 12

For
2 pounds spaghetti

4 Tbs olive oil
3 large mild Italian sausage links
2 medium yellow onion, chopped
30 ounces tomato, peeled and diced
30 ounces tomato sauce
24 ounces tomato paste
4 cloves garlic
1 stalk celery, cut in half
1 whole bay leaf
3 sprigs parsley, Italian flat leaf
3 sprigs oregano
1 cup Chianti
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup basil, fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
fresh ground black pepper
salt -- to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in bottom of large stock pot on medium-high. Brown sausage and remove with slotted spoon. The sausage adds a very special flavor to the sauce, whether you serve it with the sausgae ("meat") or not.

Put in onion and sauté until soft.

Add tomato (with juices), tomato sauce, tomato paste and a bouquet garni (enclosed within the halves of the celery stalk) of garlic, parsley, oregano and the bay leaf.

Bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours on low. Keep a lid on the pot but keep it slightly askew. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick or burn to the bottom of the pot.

Return sausage to pot (optional but it does add flavor), add Chianti, pepper flakes, sugar, basil, pepper and salt.

Simmer for another 2 hours. Keep a lid on the pot but keep it slightly askew. Stir occasionally.

If you've made meatballs, add them to the last hour of cooking.

[This was the sauce that I grew up on. It may not be EXACTLY as grandmother made it, but itÂs as close as I could come. I regret that I didnÂt pay closer attention to Vittoria when she cooked. I hope all of you will appreciate the teachings of your grandmother.]

Joe

Dear Joe, I thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It certainly sounds delicious and I can't wait to try it. I value those that value the wonderful teachings of our grandparents.

I just have one more question for you. How long will this sauce keep in the fridge and will it freeze well? Thank you.

mangomom:

I've kept this sauce in the fridge for at least 1-1/2 weeks and it still came out healthy and good.

I've never froze it but I'm sure it will freeze fine.

Joe

I have Joe's recipe in my "to try" file!

In the meantime, I like this one very much. It is super easy and it freezes well, too.

Basic Marinara
Source: Cooking Light October 2007

3T olive oil
3 c chopped onion
1T sugar
3T minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried basil
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2T balsamic vinegar
2 c chicken broth
3 28oz cans crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, cook 4 minutes stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients (through fennel), cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar, cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes, bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat 50-60 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Yield: about 12 cups sauce

Linda