Easy Tomato Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 3 to 4
- Category: Sauces
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
A quick and easy tomato sauce which you can serve simply with pasta or use in a variety of recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 x 400 g (14 oz) canned diced tomatoes
- 1–2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- freshly cracked pepper
- parsley, finely chopped
- basil leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
- Pour the oil into a medium-sized skillet or saucepan.
- Add the onion and garlic to the cold oil, together with a sprinkle of sea salt.
- Sauté over medium-high heat until the onion and garlic have softened.
- Add the canned tomatoes, together with the sugar, salt and some pepper to taste.
- Simmer the mixture over low-medium heat for about 20 minutes.
- Stir the mixture frequently, and use a wooden spoon to help break down the tomatoes.
- If the mixture has thickened too much, thin it with some boiling water.
- Taste for seasoning. Depending on the acidity of your canned tomatoes, you might need to add some more sugar.
- Stir through the chopped herbs, and reserve some herbs for garnishing.
Kitchen Notes
IN A HURRY?
Simply leave out the onions, and use tomato passata (tomato purée) for a shorter cooking time.
USE DIFFERENT SPICES
Some suggestions for variations include:
* Add 1-2 teaspoons of crushed red peppers (dried chilli flakes) to the onions and garlic for a spicy kick.
* Add 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs to the onions and garlic.
* Add or substitute fresh marjoram or oregano.
ADD VEGETABLES
Add some chopped vegetables to the onions and garlic, such as:
* courgette (zucchini), cut into large slices
* aubergine (eggplant), cut into small dice
* capsicums (bell peppers), cut into large dice
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 96
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 1024.4mg
- Fat: 3.9g
- Carbohydrates: 15.8g
- Fiber: 2.4g
- Protein: 2.1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
View the recipe online: https://eatlittlebird.com/easy-marinara-sauce/
