Why it works: Oregano and basil match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,390 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Mom Marcon's Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sauce base
Brown onion and garlic in a large pot in hot oil.
Add tomato puree and paste.
For each can of paste, add 2 cans of water (making 4 cans of water total). Stir.
Bring to boil.
Add meat and season
Brown sausage and meat (or if desired, you can use a good meatball recipe and make meatballs out of the ground beef). Add to sauce.
Season with basil, oregano, hot pepper flakes, pinch sugar, salt, pepper, and wine to taste.
Simmer and serve
Simmer 3 to 5 hours.
Serve over spaghetti, ravioli, Lasagna, etc.; may be frozen for later use.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 13 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Oregano | 1 tsp dried (1.8g) | 5 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Basil | 5 leaves fresh (2.5g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Oregano + basiltop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,390 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Tomato + basiltop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,979 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Tomato + oreganotop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,767 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Garlic + oreganotop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,756 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomato puree
- Forms the main body and liquid of the sauce.
- Tomato paste
- Adds concentrated tomato flavor and thickens the sauce as it simmers.
- Onion
- Builds a sweet, savory base when browned in oil.
- Hamburger or italian sausage
- Adds meaty richness and fat that carries flavor through the sauce.
- Wine
- Adds acidity and depth of flavor to the sauce.
The step that matters
Simmer 3 to 5 hours. A long, gentle simmer lets the sauce thicken by evaporation and lets the flavors blend. Too short a simmer leaves it thin and sharp-tasting, so keep the heat low enough for a slow bubble.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, garlic, clove, oregano, basil, sugar, pepper):
- Eggplantfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, garlic, clove, oregano, basil, sugar, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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