I have seen on PBS cooking shows and online - so many different tomato sauce cooking recipes. Have eaten 4 generations of tomato based sauces, and have heard of many more.
The simplest way made me want to say ... NO way!
Can you imagine just squirting ketchup/catsup on pasta? Some people really like that a lot. We do all have individual tastes after all, and I respect that.
There are so many recipes that call for cooking the tomato sauce for a long time (Hours) - to me it tastes way overcooked, but again, it's about the indivual's personal taste.
For me, I cook pasta sauce for three generations ranging from age 7 to 54. That's 1965 until now, and we can either buy bottles of prepared sauce, or make our own. For 30 years, I made my own sauce from store bought canned tomatoes and cans of tomato sauce - along with other fresh vegetables. I don't like sweet in pasta sauce. But with my son and family moving in almost 2 years ago - I altered the sauce.
It does not answer your question, but it does add some thoughts:
Brown some hamburger meat - around a pound. Drain it.
Add a jar of HEB garlic and herb tomato sauce. (It's not sweet)..kind of boring tasting.
A 15oz. can of diced tomatoes.
An 8oz. can of tomato sauce.
Chopped onions. Whatever kind you like (Medium yellow works)
Paper thin slices of garlic. However much you like.
Fresh Mushrooms sliced.
Oregano to taste
Basil to taste
The 30 year olds like newfangled spice mixes, but I don't use them.
Garlic and onion powder to taste.
A little salt and pepper. Each individual can add more, so don't add too much.
Most importantly, don't overcook it. As soon as those onions and garlic are easy to chew - it's ready. Total cooking time is how long it takes for the pasta water to come to a boil and be however done you like it.
It's food time.
