There are a handful of things I’d say are worth making at home: a big batch of chicken stock to freeze in smaller increments; mayonnaise, as it’s noticeably tastier and lighter than the stuff in the jar; and salad dressing, because it’s as easy as adding fresh herbs and dijon to oil and vinegar.

I like spending hours in the kitchen and making a giant mess while producing semi-complicated things I could easily pick up at the grocery store. Still, there are recipes I know better than to attempt: puff pastry, because the one time I did make it I was sore for days from rolling the buttery dough over and over; spanakopita or baklava, since I’m hopelessly clumsy with Phyllo dough; and any recipe that should have come from a nonna,  like tomato sauce, red sauce, or gravy. I’m sure my Italian friends will shudder, but I always go for the store-bought, jarred sauce.

The closest I get to homemade tomato sauce is this buttery, garlic infused roasted sauce that will make your house smell like an Italian restaurant. Time to break out your red and white checkered tablecloth.

Pasta with Butter-Roasted Tomato Sauce From Bon Appétit Magazine

1-28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes

8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 anchovy fillets packed in oil

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. long noodles, like bucatini or spaghetti (I used fusilli col buco, long curly noodles)

Finely grated Parmesan, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine tomatoes (crushing them with your hands), garlic, anchovies, butter, and red pepper flakes in a 13” x 9” baking dish; season with salt and black pepper. Roast, tossing halfway through, until garlic is very soft and mixture is jammy, about 40 minutes. Using a potato masher or fork, mash to break up garlic and tomatoes. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot and add tomato sauce and pasta cooking liquid. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Serve topped with Parmesan and more red pepper flakes.

This was one of those recipes that triggered salivation at the mere sight of the accompanying photo in the magazine. After making it dozens of times and not tiring of it, I always make sure to have the ingredients on hand. Canned tomatoes are relatively bland alone, but baked together with whole cloves of garlic and briny anchovies they become a powerful force. The ingredients essentially melt as they bake in the tangy, hand-crushed tomatoes which sweeten as they cook. The butter adds a silky effect to the end result. The crowning moment of adding the al dente pasta back to the pot to finish cooking with its salted, starchy, water and the completed sauce takes this recipe over the top. It may not take hours and isn’t one of nonna’s finest recipes, but this butter-roasted tomato sauce sure beats the jarred stuff.