Easy Pasta Sauce - Make It With Fresh Tomatoes
Fresh tomatoes make the best tasting pasta sauce: they are cooked, pulse-pureed along with cooked onions and garlic, then seasoned with herbs and spices and simmered to allow flavors to blend. Serve with pasta, or use for making pizza, eggplant Parmesan, etc., or simply as a dipping sauce with your favorite snack bites.
Equipment
- Electric food processor/chopper/blender, immersion blender; if not available, a manual food mill is OK too
- Microwave oven - if not available, you can make this sauce on the stove-top (will take a bit longer)
Ingredients
- 4 cups Tomatoes - chopped medium Roma preferred - need about 4-5 medium - diced medium
- 1/2 cup Onion - chopped finely White/yellow preferred; red onions taste good, but darkens the bright red color of the resulting sauce
- 1/2 tsp Garlic - minced/finely chopped about 1-2 small-medium cloves
- 1/2 tsp Oil I prefer peanut oil; any mild-flavored edible oil is OK
- 1 1/2 tsp Olive oil Extra Virgin preferred; add at the very end - do not heat extra virgin olive oil for more than a couple of minutes.
- 3/4 tsp Salt divided into two portions - 1/4 tsp + 1/2 tsp; adjust later - as per taste preference
- 1/2 tsp Sugar divided into two portions - 1/4 tsp each
- 1/8 tsp Black pepper - freshly ground preferred add more if you like (up to 1/4 tsp total)
- 1/4 tsp Red chilli powder (Cayenne) adjust as desired
- 1/2 tsp Fennel powder
- 1 tsp Dried basil leaves
- 1 leaf Bay leaf torn into 2-3 pieces
- 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 6-8 leaves Fresh Basil leaves (optional) add hand-torn leaves at the end, just before serving.
Instructions
- These directions are for making the sauce using the microwave oven. For stove-top directions, please see Recipe Notes.Place tomatoes on a glass/ceramic microwave-safe dinner plate. Microwave on high power for 2 minutes, then on medium power (40-50% power) for another 2-3 min. Note: For stove-top directions, see Recipe Notes for details.
- Remove the plate from the microwave and set aside to cool for 8-10 min.
- While the tomatoes are resting, dice the onions.
- Place the onions in a microwave safe glass/ceramic bowl and microwave for 2 min at high power.
- Meanwhile, peel and chop the garlic. I like using a silicone garlic peeler to effortlessly peel the garlic (shown in the picture) - all you have to do is place the garlic cloves inside the silicone tube and roll firmly on the countertop. Now simply pull out the peeled garlic - so easy! (The peels are stuck on the inside of the tube.)
- The onions will have become translucent and decreased in volume, and the edges will have just started browning.Add the garlic to the partially cooked onions, drizzle with a few drops of oil ( from the 1/2 tsp portion) and a pinch of sugar; microwave on hi for 2-3 min.
- The onions and garlic should look a little brown on the edges.
- Transfer the cooked tomatoes, onion and garlic to a blender or food processor (or chopper)
- Pulse a few times to a slightly coarse sauce texture.
- Transfer the sauce to a microwave safe glass/ceramic bowl. Add the seasonings and a few drops of oil ( remaining from the 1/2 tsp portion.
- Stir to mix; cover and microwave on hi for 1 min, then simmer on medium-hi power (50-60%) for 6-8 min. Add Italian seasoning and olive oil; stir, cover and rest for a couple of min before serving.Optional: Add hand-torn leaves of fresh basil, if available.
- Pasta Sauce is ready to serve.. about 1 1/2 cups of thick sauce.If you prefer a thinner sauce, add a little boiling-hot water and stir.
- Shown served on Farfalle (Bow-tie) with sauteed vegetables, with extra sauce on the side.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Stove-top cooking (without microwave):
- Place chopped tomatoes in a medium (2-3 quart/liter size) heavy-bottom saucepan.
- Add 2 tbsp water, and cook on high for 1 minute then simmer on low for 8-10 min, until tomatoes are soft. Stir every few min to prevent burning at the bottom.
- Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tsp oil in a small, frying pan (non-stick preferred ), add chopped onions and saute on medium heat for 3-4 min, till they become translucent.
- Add garlic and saute for 2-3 min longer until edges begin to brown.
- Add the sauteed onion/garlic to the cooked tomatoes, stir and transfer to a food processor/chopper or blender.
- If you prefer, you can use an immersion blender to avoid having to transfer the sauce back and forth: from sauce-pan to blender, then back to sauce-pan).
- If an electric blender is not available, you can also do this with a manual food mill.
- Pulse a few times to a coarse-textured sauce.
- Transfer back to the sauce-pan in which you cooked the tomatoes, add remaining seasonings (do NOT add olive oil at this stage), and simmer for 8-10 min.
- Stir in olive oil, and hand-torn fresh basil leaves, if using, and rest for a couple of min before serving.
Storing Leftovers:
Refrigerate in glass jar/container:- Consume within 3-4 days
- Sauce should hold flavor for about 6-8 weeks, possibly longer.
- To thaw
- Remove lid, cover with a vented lid and microwave on 20-30% power for 4-5 min till softened.
- Stir to break up remaining ice crystals and heat in a glass/ceramic microwave-safe bowl till almost boiling.
Nutrition
Calories: 73kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 449mgPotassium: 610mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2069IUVitamin C: 34mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!