Description
Homemade tomato pasta sauce brings classic Italian flavors to your kitchen with minimal ingredients. Red ripe tomatoes and fresh herbs create a simple yet delicious sauce perfect for weekend cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 can (28 oz/800 g) crushed tomatoes (or whole peeled tomatoes, blended)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable or chicken broth (or water)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil (or 1 tbsp fresh basil)
- ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for a little heat)
- 1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
- 1 tbsp butter (optional, for richness)
Instructions
- Aromatic Foundation: Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium warmth, gently sautéing finely chopped onions until they transform into a translucent, softened base that releases a sweet fragrance.
- Flavor Layering: Introduce minced garlic to the onion mixture, stirring rapidly to prevent scorching while allowing the pungent aromatics to infuse throughout the pan.
- Tomato Transformation: Combine crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, creating a vibrant sauce base that develops rich, concentrated tomato essence, then integrate sugar, salt, pepper, dried oregano, basil, and optional red pepper flakes to build complex flavor dimensions.
- Simmering Symphony: Pour a splash of broth to adjust sauce consistency, then reduce heat and allow ingredients to meld together, stirring intermittently to prevent burning and promote even flavor development.
- Finishing Touch: Incorporate a pat of butter, stirring until completely blended, which adds luxurious silkiness and rounds out the sauce’s overall taste profile, creating a harmonious blend of sweet, tangy, and savory notes ready to elevate any dish.
Notes
- Prevent Garlic Burning: Stir quickly and maintain medium heat to avoid bitter, scorched garlic flavor that can ruin the entire sauce.
- Balance Tomato Acidity: Add a pinch of sugar to neutralize the sharp tang of crushed tomatoes, creating a smoother, more rounded taste profile.
- Control Sauce Consistency: Gradually add broth or water, stirring constantly to achieve desired thickness without making the sauce too watery or thin.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Incorporate butter at the end for a luxurious, velvety texture that softens the sauce’s acidic notes and adds a rich, smooth finish.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg