Description
A simple, well-made tomato sauce is arguably the most useful recipe in any cook’s repertoire. This version follows the Italian principle that a great tomato sauce needs very few ingredients — just good tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and basil. It is the base for pasta, pizza, braised meats, and much more.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cans (28 ounces each) whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
- 1 small bunch fresh basil (about 10 leaves)
Instructions
- Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and crush them by hand, squeezing them through your fingers. This gives you a more interesting, rustic texture than a blender. Remove and discard the hard stem core from each tomato as you go.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook gently for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and just barely starting to turn golden. Do not let it brown.
- Carefully pour in the crushed tomatoes (the oil may spatter). Add the salt and sugar if using. Stir well.
- Bring to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the raw tomato flavor has mellowed into a sweet, rich depth.
- Tear the basil leaves and stir them into the sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Taste and adjust the seasoning — a pinch more salt, a bit more sugar, or a splash of the juice from the tomato can.
- Use immediately or cool and store refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Crushing the tomatoes by hand rather than blending them gives the sauce a more appealing, rustic texture with variation.
- Be very careful not to burn the garlic — it goes from golden and sweet to bitter and acrid in seconds.
- This recipe intentionally keeps things simple. Once you have mastered the base, you can build from it: add sauteed onion for soffritto, stir in cream for vodka sauce, or simmer with meat for a ragu.
- The sauce deepens in flavor overnight, making it even better the next day.
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving