Instructions: In a pot, heat the oil, saute the garlic until soft. Add the onions and cook until soft. Stir in the salt, pepper, oregano, basil andred pepper flakes, blending well. Add the tomatoes and sugar, stirring them into the other ingredients until well mixed. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 35 minutes, stirring often. (The appeal of this dish is its lightness, so do not over cook and thicken.) When you can move a wooden spoon across the top of the sauce without leaving a watery trail, it is ready. It should be smooth and thick, but not heavy. Do not revert to other pasta sauce techniques and use either tomato paste or the crushed tomatoes that come in a can. This destroys the personality of Filetto Sauce. Toss a least a cup of the sauce with the hot pasta. Spoon generous amounts over individual servings and freeze the rest of the sauce.

Pass the cheese of your choice at the table.

Makes aobut 6 cups of sauce (
some for the freezer) ; this pasta will serve 6.

World of pasta, by Maria Luisa Scott and Jack Denton Scott, McGraw-Hill,

NOTES : This is a special light sauce that restauranteurs in Italy make on Sundays and serve to themselves and their staffs on fresh pasta that day.

It freezes well and thus making a big batch saves time. Its creator uses prosciutto fat to saute the onions and garlic, but olive oil does the job nicely.

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