How to make tasty Italian Tomato Pasta Sauce

Learning how to make a basic Italian tomato pasta sauce is a must for all budding cooks. Not only can it be used as a stand alone sauce for a quick homemade meal but you can also vary it by adding vegetables or mince meat for a delicious and filling tea (or dinner/supper if you are not from Yorkshire/ Northern England).

Watch to video below, from my Youtube channel, for clear guidance.

What you need to make this Italian Pasta Sauce

Follow this simple recipe and learn how to make Italian tomato pasta sauce at home yourself.

This meal is designed to make several portions for two people. I typically get around four to five portions which I freeze. If you have a larger family, no problem as it will make two portions for a family of five. One to eat and one to freeze.

This sauce does freeze very well and can be used straight from the freezer if you really need to.

You will need:

4 cans of Italian plum tomatoes

2 large chopped onions

1 tablespoon of tomato puree

2 to 3 teaspoons of sugar (to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of mixed Italian herbs. This is to taste and will depend on how herby you like your food.

1 teaspoon of oregano (to taste)

1 tablespoon of basil (fresh or dried)

3 to 4 cloves of garlic

Olive oil

A quick word about the ingredients

I don’t buy expensive canned tomatoes. They have gone up so significantly in the last two years I personally think paying over £1 for one tin is pretty outrageous. Instead I go to shops such as Lidle or Aldi (sometimes B and M) and look for the ones on offer. My favourites are usually from Lidle as I just happen to prefer them.

You can use chopped tomatoes if you prefer but I like the plum tomatoes as I think the juice is thicker. Also, if you have a glut of tomatoes in your garden these will make a delicious sauce. If you are using fresh, score a small cross in the base of the tomatoes then plunge them into boiling water to burst the skins. When they have split, remove them and peel the skins. Some people deseed them first but I usually just keep them in. If you want to have a go at growing your own have a look at my blog 5 tips for growing great tomatoes in a greenhouse – Sueps House

The measurements in this recipe are intended as a guideline as this sauce can be made and adapted to your taste. If you have never made a sauce like this before follow the measurements. When you make it a second time, think about what you did and begin to adapt it to your preferences. If you prefer it to be sweeter, add a little more sugar. Want a stronger herb taste, add more herbs. It is entirely your call.

How to make this Italian Tomato Sauce

First, put a couple of tablespoons of good quality olive oil in a large pan and allow it to heat up on a medium heat. When it is warm add the chopped onions and fry them slowly until they soften. Try to avoid getting too much colour on them as this will give the sauce a slightly burnt taste. When you are happy the onions have softened add the garlic and fry for about a minute. Don’t let it burn or stick.

Next, when you are happy your garlic and onions are soft add in your tomatoes. If you have used plum tomatoes try to break them up a little with a spatula or knife. This will release the juice inside and help them to cook a little more quickly. Simmer them for about five minutes then add the herbs and tomato puree. Salt and pepper to taste. Make sure you keep a close eye on them. You will need to stir occasionally to make sure they don’t stick.

Now you need to add some sugar. Again, this is to taste so make sure you are checking your sauce by tasting as you go along. Add a teaspoon at a time until you are happy with the flavour. Tomatoes are quite acidic and the sugar will counteract this but it is very much a personal taste thing. So taste.

All you need to do now is leave the sauce to simmer gently for around twenty minutes. When you are happy everything has cooked through and the flavours have combined then remove it from the heat and let it cool a little.

Finally, if you want to have a smooth sauce you will need to use a hand blender to break the sauce down. I prefer to do this simply because I like my sauce that way. You could also use a conventional blender to do this but it is a little more messy transfering the sauce across. If you prefer a sauce with lumps of tomatoes then don’t bother with either method.

Serving

I serve this delicious sauce over spaghetti and top it with mozzarella and shredded fresh basil. You could also sauté some vegetables to add in or use it when making a lasagna.

Any sauce I am not using will always be portioned up and put in the freezer.