1-First Step: Get your ingredients ready Before you start cooking, chop the onions, crush the garlic, and measure out everything else. This makes the process smoother, especially once the pot is hot. Since the sauce simmers for hours, having everything lined up first saves you from rushing later.

2-Second Step: Sauté the onions Set a large stockpot over low to medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil warms up, add the chopped onions and sauté them for about 4 minutes. You want them soft and fragrant, not browned. Stir now and then so they cook evenly.

3-Third Step: Add the garlic Stir in the crushed garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Keep the heat gentle so the garlic does not burn. Burnt garlic can turn bitter fast, and this sauce needs a smooth, mellow base.

4-Fourth Step: Add the tomato base Pour in the water, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Mix thoroughly until the tomato paste is fully blended into the liquids. This step helps avoid lumps and gives the sauce a smooth start. If you prefer a thicker sauce right away, you can reduce or skip the water. Some cooks like that approach because it keeps the sauce from getting too thin while it simmers.

5-Fifth Step: Season the sauce Add the sugar, salt, pepper, dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir everything together well. The Parmesan melts into the tomatoes and helps create a rich, savory taste. This is also the point where you can begin adjusting the sauce to your own taste. If you like a sharper onion flavor, add more onions. If you want more depth, a little extra garlic or a bay leaf can be a nice touch.

6-Sixth Step: Cover and simmer low and slow Cover the pot and cook the sauce for 2 and a half hours over low heat. Stir it every so often to keep it from sticking to the bottom. Long simmering is what gives this sauce its old-world flavor, so do not rush this step. During this time, the tomatoes cook down, the herbs bloom, and the sauce begins to thicken. The flavor becomes deeper and more balanced the longer it simmers.

7-Seventh Step: Add the red wine After the 2 and a half hours are up, stir in the 2 1/2 cups of red wine. Let the sauce cook for another 30 minutes. This final simmer adds a deeper, richer taste and gives the sauce a more rounded finish. If you need a quicker batch, dry cooking wine can work too. Just keep in mind that the better the wine tastes on its own, the better it will taste in the sauce.

8-Eighth Step: Check the texture and adjust When the sauce is done, give it a taste. If it seems too thin, let it simmer uncovered a little longer. If it feels too thick, add a splash of water or a little extra wine. The texture will also improve after resting, so do not worry if it looks a bit loose on the first day. This sauce is one of those recipes that gets better after it sits. The next day, the flavors settle, the texture thickens, and the whole pot tastes more complete.

9-Ninth Step: Serve it your favorite way Spoon the sauce over spaghetti, serve it with meatballs, or use it with Italian sausage. If you add meat to the pot, stir often so nothing sticks. The sauce also works well with baked pasta dishes, stuffed shells, and layered casseroles. For another comfort-food pasta idea, you may also like this creamy beef and bowtie pasta recipe or this million dollar lasagna for a richer family-style dinner.