This fresh-tasting Everyday Tomato Sauce is just perfect as is on the pasta of your choice and sprinkled with a little cheese. The tomatoes are simply enhanced with some fresh garlic and basil. This is also the perfect sauce to transform into a vodka sauce, meat sauce, add to your favorite parmesan preparation or to use as a dip for fried zucchini or calamari. I like to make this sauce and to enjoy some of it on the same day and freeze the rest for later. Once you make your own sauce there is no turning back. It's delicious! Give it a try.
Ingredients for Everyday Tomato Sauce:
makes 3 quarts
4 28 ounce cans of San Marzano whole tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced
fresh basil
kosher salt
Time Saving Tip: Make this sauce in advance and keep it in the freezer. You will be so happy that you did.
Let's see what we need for this recipe.
Now let's start making our sauce.
Here are all of the tomatoes. The tomatoes need to be either mashed a bit or pulsed in the food processor to break them down into smaller pieces. I like the food processor route. The pieces are more consistent.
Make sure if you use a processor you use the pulse button and not the process. It the tomatoes are processed there will be no substance to them. Pulse a few times until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped. You will have to do this in a few batches. I have a Cuisinart food processor. Click HERE if you would like information regarding the food processor. Once all of the tomatoes are ready to set aside.
Add 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and the garlic to a cold pot. Turn the heat on and cook on medium low for 5 - 10 minutes. Cook until garlic is fragrant and starts to soften but do not brown.
Slowly add all of the tomatoes to the pot. Be careful so they don't splatter all over you. Swish all of the cans with some water to clean out any scraps of tomatoes that may be left. Then fill one of the cans about 3/4 of the way with water and add to the tomatoes. Add the basil and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
Cover and cook on medium low heat for about an hour. Be sure to stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the pot. Then remove the lid and cook for another hour.
After a couple of hours, the sauce will thicken up to a perfect consistency. Add salt if needed. I usually go light on the salt because it gives me more freedom to add other components to the sauce without worrying that the sauce will get too salty.
The sauce is ready! Feel free to serve it up now on your favorite pasta ...
or put some in the freezer for later. I like to use these plastic containers. Click HERE to learn more about these containers.
Enjoy!
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