Rich and Savory Tomato Sauce

The base to a lot of amazing things is a good tomato sauce. It is a delicious representation of the full flavor that the humble tomato has. Unlike a quicker pomodoro sauce, the tomato sauce is not chunky, but smooth and complex. It has a deeper more caramelized flavor lended from the longer cooking time as well as the surface area that the smooth blend of tomatoes gets from touching the heat. This also tends to make it a bit sweeter which makes for a fantastic accent to many meals.

Use tomato sauce any way you want

This classic tomato sauce can be used in a variety of applications. I have mostly used it as a base for a pizza. But it can easily be poured over pasta with a bit of pecorino romano parmesan. Or used as the red sauce in a meat sauce or bolognese as my fiancé has decided to this week in her ground turkey meat sauce with pasta meal prep. 

There are many other uses as well though even still that don’t involve pasta or pizza. Try it out for a nice breakfast shakshuka. Mix it in with cooked ground beef for a sloppy joe. Or one of the other classic favorites, chicken or eggplant parmesan.

Use this recipe as you see fit. I’m positive that no matter what, you won’t be disappointed with what you choose to use it for.

I highly advise you to try my pizza dough recipe with it!

To make the sauce

Start by placing a medium sized pot on the stove at a low to medium heat. Once the pot is up to heat add olive oil, onions, and a pinch of salt. Allow the onions to sweat for 5 minutes. Add the minces garlic and cook for another 2 minutes

Now add the tomatoes, water, oregano, basil, bay leaves, sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Let the pot come up to a simmer and reduce heat to low and keep simmering for 45 minutes.

Remove from heat and take out the bay leaves. pour the sauce into a blender or use an immersion blender in the pot and blend until the mixture is smooth and there are no clumps of tomatoes remaining. 

Place back into the pot on the low heat and continue cooking at a low simmer for another 45 minutes or until the sauce reached your desired thickness and consistency. The lower the heat and longer you cook, the more deep and rich the flavors get. 

If you have some, try adding 3 tablespoons of tomato paste for an even richer and more tomatoey flavor. I have my personal recipe for tomato paste here. Or maybe 2 tablespoons of good unsalted butter to soften the flavors and deepen the richness.

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Tomato sauce

It is a delicious representation of the full flavor that the humble tomato has. Unlike a quicker pomodoro sauce, the tomato sauce is not chunky, but smooth and complex.

Course Appetizer, Bread, larder, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword italian, Tomatoes

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 1/2 cups

Calories 76kcal

Author Matthew Earl

Equipment

• 1 Medium sized pot
• 1 Blender optional
• 1 immersion blender optional

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic
• 28 oz can of Cento San Mariano tomatoes (1 lb 12 oz)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp oregano
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• Try adding 3 Tbsp tomato paste

Instructions

• Start by placing a medium sized pot on the stove at a low to medium heat. Once the pot is up to heat add olive oil, onions, and a pinch of salt. Allow the onions to sweat for 5 minutes. Add the minces garlic and cook for another 2 minutes
• Now add the tomatoes, water, oregano, basil, bay leaves, sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Let the pot come up to a simmer and reduce heat to low and keep simmering for 45 minutes.
• Remove from heat and take out the bay leaves. pour the sauce into a blender or use an immersion blender in the pot and blend until the mixture is smooth and there are no clumps of tomatoes remaining.
• Place back into the pot on the low heat and continue cooking at a low simmer for another 45 minutes or until the sauce reached your desired thickness and consistency. The lower the heat and longer you cook, the more deep and rich the flavors get.
• If you have some, try adding 3 tablespoons of tomato paste for an even richer and more tomatoey flavor. Or maybe 2 tablespoons of good unsalted butter to soften the flavors and deepen the richness.

Nutrition

Serving: 81/2 cups | Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 606mg | Sugar: 11g