My wife Molly says I have restored her faith in tomato sauces. She’s had bad experiences in the past, but my homemade sauces with real tomatoes (many grown in the backyard) have changed her perspective.

I like making my own tomato sauce because it has a completely different flavor and less sugar than those jarred varieties. In our opinion, it’s just better sauce.

Usually, I actually prefer oregano to basil in my tomato sauce, recipe here within a post about homemade pizza. But this recipe from the FX network show (now on Hulu) The Bear uses basil, and I love it just as much. The basil, oil and garlic really infuse the pasta with incredible flavor.

If you haven’t checked out The Bear, it’s worth your time, especially if you love food and restaurants like we do. The show is a blunt look into the harsh realities, as well as the joys and passions, for people who own and work in restaurants. It’s not a business for the faint of heart. We love the show, and we love this simple recipe.

I don’t often like to order pasta at restaurants. Most don’t prepare it much better than you can at home with a little know-how, in my opinion. This recipe is proof of that. It’s nothing fancy. It’s just flavorful spaghetti and sauce.

Several people in our family don’t really like meals without meat. You can absolutely add beef or meatballs to this recipe as well. As we always encourage, make it how you like it. Take our recipe and craft your own #FoodieScore!

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The Bear‘s Family Meal Spaghetti

What You Need

10 garlic cloves (I prefer pre-minced and use about 2 tablespoons.)

basil steeped in oil (a couple fresh leaves or a tablespoon dry to start, in about 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil)

San Marzano tomatoes, 2 28-ounce cans (the smaller cans taste better)

spaghetti noodles

What You Do

1. In a saucepan on low-medium heat, steep (soak/simmer) two basil leaves or a tablespoon of chopped, dried basil leaves in a few tablespoons of your preferred olive oil.

2. Add the minced garlic or smashed cloves and keep simmering, stirring enough to keep the seasonings from sticking or burning. I like using minced garlic I buy to simplify the process, but some people don’t like the taste. If that’s true for you, use cloves you peel and smash yourself.

3. Add tomatoes and continue to simmer. I’ve grown San Marzano variety tomatoes in my own garden and used them. On the TV show, they use the canned variety that is available at many grocery stores.

4. Turn your sauce mixture to low, just enough heat to keep simmering and cooking down. Stir occasionally to keep incorporating the ingredients.

5. While your sauce is simmering, boil enough spaghetti noodles for how many people you’re serving in a pot on medium heat, heavily salting the water.

6. By the time your noodles are cooked, your sauce should all be cooked down. Some people prefer mixing noodles and sauce. Others like to plate the noodles and top with sauce. I usually do the latter.

7. Once you plate the spaghetti noodles and sauce, you can garnish how you like. In our house, we like Parmesan cheese. I also like a little parsley, just for extra color.