Why buy jarred pasta sauce when it's so easy to make your own? This tomato sauce comes together quickly and easily with onions, garlic, canned tomatoes and not much else. You can customize it by adding meat, other chopped veggies and herbs like peppers or basil, a splash of red wine or other ingredients. Use it on homemade or store-bought pasta, pizza, calzones and more.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 28 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Yield: About 3 1/2 cups of sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano or Italian herb blend
- Salt and pepper
- Optional additions: 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped, 1/3 cup red wine, 1/2 pound ground beef, turkey or loose sausage
Preparation:
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, tilting the pan to coat the bottom completely, then add the onion. Saute, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds, taking care not to burn the garlic.
- Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste and optional red wine and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the dried herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 20 minutes. If using fresh basil, stir in just before serving.
Variation: For meat sauce, add the raw ground meat or sausage in Step 1 after the onions have cooked for about 5 minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and cooked through, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the garlic, cooking for about 30 seconds, then proceed with the remaining steps of the recipe as directed.
