Simple Italian Tomato Sauce
Make a classic but simple Italian tomato sauce with only 4 main ingredients. This quick and authentic sauce can be made with canned or fresh tomatoes and is perfect for pasta, pizza, or spaghetti.
Servings: 15 servings (about 7.5 cups or 1.8 liters)
Calories: 36kcal
Equipment
- saucepan
- immersion blender (or regular blender)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup finely diced carrots
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 56 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes
- finely ground black pepper to taste
- Morton kosher salt to taste
Instructions
For Simple Tomato Sauce
- Add extra virgin olive oil, carrots, and onions to a large saucepan over medium heat and cook until softened.
- Crush the canned tomatoes with your hands directly into the saucepan. Add in any leftover tomato juice still in the can to the saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes until the flavors marry together. Stir occasionally to ensure the bottom doesn't burn. If you notice the sauce bubbling too intensely, turn down the heat slightly.
- Once cooked down, taste and season with black pepper and Morton kosher salt to taste. Puree with an immersion blender or in the container of a blender until the sauce is smooth.
- Allow the sauce to fully cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. For long-term storage, see instructions below.
Notes
Freezer Storage: Allow the sauce to fully cool, then store it in an airtight container (leave some room at the top so the sauce can expand as it freezes). The sauce can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.
You can also pour the cooled sauce into an ice cube tray then allow it to fully freeze. Pop the sauce out of the mold, then place the cubes in an airtight bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. This makes it easy to use small amounts of sauce.
To make with fresh tomatoes, first blanch the fresh tomatoes. Here's how:
- Boil a large pot of water over high heat.
- Score the bottom of each tomato with a small "X". I like to use a pairing knife for this.
- Add a small amount of tomatoes to the boiling water and cook for 30 - 90 seconds until you start to see the skins split open.
- Finally, remove them from the boiling water and transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking.
- Then, you can peel the skin and use the tomatoes in the simple tomato sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (½ cup) | Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
