Spaghetti Sauce

By mirelsonp

$4 spaghetti that's almost as good as $24 spaghetti from Scott Conant's Scarpetta in NYC.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings plus 4 cups of sauce
Make ahead: The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Ingredients

• 4 oz white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup peeled garlic cloves (4 oz from about 4 heads)
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• two 28-oz cans peeled Italian tomatoes with their juices
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1/4 cup torn basil leaves
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a saucepan, bring the mushrooms and 3 cups of water to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the broth is reduced to 1 cup, 1 hour. Strain and discard the mushrooms.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the garlic and olive oil to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until the garlic is very tender and golden, about 30 minutes.

3. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven, bring the tomatoes and the garlic and oil to a boil. Add the mushroom broth and, using an imersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth. Bring the sauce back to a boil, then simmer over moderately low heat until thickened, about 1 hour. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

4. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain the spaghetti and return to the pot. Add 2 cups of the sauce and cook, tossing, for 1 minute. Transfer the spaghetti to bowls, top with the basil and serve with grated cheese.