There were two things I forgot to get at the market after coming home from India: cheddar cheese and Prego spaghetti sauce. These are our go to ingredients for something quick and easy. The good thing is I had bought crushed tomatoes which make for any easy spaghetti sauce anytime. I call this American style because of the addition of ketchup. We love sweet American style spaghetti! Don’t be upset, but we also like it with cilantro and cheddar cheese! This time we didn’t have cheese, but we were sure missing it 🙂

Omit the ketchup and you have a simple more traditional marinara sauce. Perfect with a sprinkling of parmigiano reggiano!

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped (I don’t mince them because they tend to overcook and get bitter too fast — cook the garlic slowly and long enough and the bigger pieces give a wonderful flavor to the sauce)
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounce)
Pinch or two of each: dried thyme, oregano, basil
1-3 teaspoons sugar depending on how tart the tomatoes are
Salt
Squirt ketchup (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium heat and cook the onions until translucent, adding the garlic part way through cooking.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes, thyme, oregano, basil, sugar, salt and ketchup (if you’re going Prego style).
3. Cook for about 20 minutes to let the flavors meld.