Making your own pasta sauce is so easy; once you try it, you’ll wonder why you felt so dependent on that bottle of sauce.

There are as many recipes for tomato sauce as there are cooks who make it. This is the one I use quite often, though you should feel free to vary the theme. 

It’s got a lot of flavor, so you can cut he amount of garlic and herbs if you are looking for a lighter sauce. The tomato paste thickens up the sauce and adds some richness, but you can leave it out if you prefer a thinner sauce.

And its also a great weekday vegetarian dinner. It will be a hit with any pasta lover, and is super simple to make on short notice.

• ¼ cup Olive oil
• 2 tspns Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Onions, chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 2 cans Crushed tomatoes or 6 large chopped tomatoes
  
• 140 g Tomato paste
• 1½ tsp Sugar
• 340g Spaghetti
• 1 handful Basil, to serve

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan on medium heat and saute onion and garlic until onion is soft (about 10 minutes).
2. Add canned tomatoes or chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar and simmer for 10-15 minutes until sauce has reduced and thickened.
   
3. Stir through extra virgin olive oil, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
5. Cook spaghetti until just cooked. Drain and keep at aside.
6. Toss spaghetti with tomato sauce, reserved pasta water and basil leaves.
7. Divide between bowls and top with more basil and parmesan.