Favorite tomato sauce

0
Points®
Total Time
48 min
Prep
8 min
Cook
40 min
Serves
12
Difficulty
Easy
In well under an hour, you can have a generous batch of homemade sauce ready to use for pizzas, pasta dishes, or to serve with meat or fish. Refrigerate the sauce for up to 3 days, or double up the recipe for a batch of sauce to freeze for up to 3 months. This flavorful concoction beats jarred sauces, which are often laden with salt and sugar. Oregano is the herb of choice here, but you can substitute an equal amount of fresh or dried basil for a different flavor profile. When cooking the garlic and onions, stay stove side and stir frequently. You don't want the mixture to brown, as burnt or blackened garlic will taint the sauce with a bitter taste. Stir, let the mix soften, and remove it from heat just as soon as you notice the onions and garlic beginning to color.

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 Tbsp, extra-virgin

Onion

2 medium, finely chopped

Garlic

4 clove(s), minced

Plum tomato

3 pound(s), (about 18) plum tomatoes, chopped, or 2 (28-ounce) cans Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped

Tomato paste

2 Tbsp

Fresh oregano

1 Tbsp, finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried

Table salt

½ tsp

Black pepper

¼ tsp, freshly ground

Crushed red pepper flakes

tsp, (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, ground pepper, and crushed red pepper (if using); bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 25 minutes. Yields 1/2 cup per serving.