We all love pasta, but do you ever get tired of the same ‘ol, same ‘ol when it comes to pasta sauce (for us it’s Prego® when I’m too tired or not in the mood to do a scratch version)? If so, then read on for a classy way to up your pasta game (because sauce has SO MUCH to do with this).

My suggestion is to give Sicilian sauce a try. Sicilian pasta sauce, often referred to as "sugo siciliano," is a tomato-based sauce, traditionally made with San Marzano tomatoes, onions, basil, and oregano.

While both Sicilian and Italian pasta sauces share a base of tomatoes and herbs, Sicilian sauce typically features onions, eggplant, and bell peppers. It’s famously known for its fresh, slightly sweet flavor, often without the use of garlic. Common Italian pasta sauce, particularly marinara, is simpler, relying basically on tomatoes, garlic, and herbs.

Sicilian sauce is traditionally cooked slowly to allow the flavors to meld and deepen. In other words, this isn’t a dish to fiddle with if you want your dinner on in a hurry. This would be more appropriate for a weekend where there’s not much going on and you’re in the mood to cook.

A common Sicilian pasta sauce dish is Spaghetti alla Siciliana: A fiery mix of hot pasta mixed with lots of garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, chilies and olive oil. Pasta alla Norma uses the above-mentioned eggplant along with Marzano tomato paste and lots of ricotta cheese. And another Sicilian sauce favorite is Pasta con le Sarde: Pasta with Sardines.

And here’s some tidbits of information I didn’t know: When any tomato-based pasta sauce is slow-cooked with meat, Italians refer to it as ragù. Then there’s this fact: "Pomodoro" (Italian for tomato) specifically describes a chunky tomato sauce used mainly to top pizza.

Now for a specific use of Sicilian pasta sauce. Have you heard of Spaghetti Alla Carrettiera? The story goes that it was invented by the carrettieri, cart drivers who more than a century ago would journey from town to town, selling anything and everything citizens might need. Cooking and eating while on the road took ingenuity, and they would put together easy pastas using shelf-stable pantry ingredients they had tucked into their carts.

It's a sauce highly influenced by geographical origins. Food historians say there were two main versions—one made with fresh tomatoes and the other made with canned tomatoes. The fresh sauce versions tended to come from Sicily while the canned tomato ones seemed to center around Rome. Their common link was the cart drivers who made it according to the various ingredients in their carts, depending on where they traveled. Farther north meant preserved mushrooms and fish and tomatoes. While in the south, fresh tomatoes were more abundant.

So all this said, keep in mind that you, too, can make your own version based on what you have on hand. Don't have fresh basil? Some fresh parsley works well, too. Low on tomatoes? Make an in bianco ("white") version without them. Just like the cart drivers of long ago, your carrettiera sauce can be whatever you need and want it to be.

I’ll finish with a tried-and-true recipe for Pasta Alla Norma found on www.cookingwithayeh.com. This 5-star dish meets enthusiastic applause every time we serve it. Anything served with this sauce is truly a classy way to up your pasta game. See what you think.