A basic tomato sauce, whether it’s meant for a plate of spaghetti or an eggplant parmigiana, should be very simple. High quality tomatoes don’t require a ton of added ingredients to be incredibly delicious. Skip the onion and carrot, and try this recipe using nothing more than tomatoes, olive oil, salt, basil, and a little bit of garlic. You’ll be amazed at how yummy it is!
What Kind of Tomatoes Are Best for Tomato Sauce?
You can certainly make this sauce using fresh tomatoes. If you would like to try, check out our blog post all about the process.
The sad truth, however, is that most of us (at least in North America) don’t have access to tomatoes that come even close to imported, canned tomatoes. That’s why, unless you’re very lucky and have some amazing in-season produce, we recommend using canned whole peeled tomatoes.
While San Marzano tomatoes are fantastic, you don’t need to splurge on them in order to make a great sauce. What’s important is to look for pure tomatoes. Don’t buy anything with any other added ingredients. No salt, no garlic, no basil, no citric acid. Just tomatoes. We’re making the sauce, today!
You can also use cherry tomatoes for an extra-flavorful sauce! Check out the Pasta Grammar video where we tested this hack here:
SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE RECIPE
Yield: About 3 cups
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
For this recipe, you will need:
28 oz. (800g) canned whole peeled tomatoes
1 whole garlic clove, peeled
3-4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Fresh basil, about 3-4 leaves
Salt to taste
Pot or saucepan
Fork
Place the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and basil in a pot or saucepan over medium heat, and bring them to a gentle simmer. At this point, sprinkle some salt into the sauce, but be cautious because the sauce will thicken, and you can addd more seasoning later if needed.
Allow the whole tomatoes to cook for a few minutes until they have softened enough to be easily mashed with a fork into a pulpy texture. Next, let the sauce simmer partially covered for about 25-30 minutes, or until it thickens to your desired consistency. In case the sauce becomes too thick, feel free to add some water to thin it down and cook it for longer if necessary.
Before turning off the heat, remove the garlic clove and adjust the seasoning of the sauce to your taste by adding more salt if needed. Once the sauce has cooled down, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Alternatively, you can freeze the sauce for longer periods of time.
Buon appetito!