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Lots of Fresh Basil Tomato Sauce

Lots of Fresh Basil Tomato Sauce, is a delicious fast and easy sauce full of fresh basil and spices. Perfect over a bowl of al dente Pasta.

basil tomato sauce with rigatoni pasta in a black pan

Lately we have been enjoying so many fresh tomato recipes from Mozzarella and Parmesan Baked to Tomatoes to one of our favourites Homemade Oven Dried Tomatoes.

Sometimes you just have to have a big bowl of pasta. The Italian decided that he wanted one of his mother’s fast and easy Pasta dishes. A perfectly spiced Basil Tomato Sauce

Once you learn how to to make this lots of fresh basil tomato sauce, you’ll never go back to the store bought stuff! With delicious fresh ingredients like oregano, garlic, and of course basil, you’ll feel like you’re in a small trattoria in Rome. 

Why You Should Make Homemade Tomato Sauce

I know it might sound very tempting to reach for the canned sauce at the grocery store, but I promise this homemade lots of basil tomato sauce is worth every extra second of time it takes to make it! 

This is the perfect Tomato Sauce to serve with short Pasta,  yes my husband loves his short Pasta, as he says, its the best pasta to hold in all that wonderful sauce.

When I think of Italian Comfort Food, I pretty well think all of it is Comfort Food! From a delicious Tiramisu to a cheesy homemade Pizza but for me my favorite will always be Pasta.

how to make basil tomato sauce sauce in a black pan with fresh basil


 

How To Make Fresh Basil Tomato Sauce

  • There is nothing difficult or time-consuming about this dish. While the water is boiling and the pasta is cooking, you can make your sauce.
  • All you need is a few ingredients, a can of tomatoes (just tomatoes no added ingredients), garlic, olive oil a few spices and lots of fresh basil. One cup to be exact. And a few extra for sprinkling on top.
  • The directions are just as simple and straight forward as the ingredient list is.
  • In a large pot boil water, add salt and cook the pasta al dente, be sure to choose a good quality pasta, the cooking time on the package is very accurate, but of course take a taste first.
  • While the water is boiling, in a large pan add the olive oil, garlic, can of tomatoes, oregano, salt, hot pepper flakes, fresh chopped basil and water, cook on medium heat until thickened, add the drained cooked pasta and a half ladle of pasta water, raise the heat and while stirring constantly cook until thickened. 

What Kind of Pasta is Best For Basil Tomato Sauce? 

There is really no “best pasta” to use for a recipe like this. That’s the appeal of a simple classic tomato sauce recipe. You can use just about anything you want, and it will still come out to be an amazingly delicious dish. 

I made this with Rigatoni but you can use your favourite type of pasta if you want to switch things up a bit.

basil pasta sauce in a black pan

How Long Does Homemade Tomato Sauce Last? 

I typically make this to use right away, but you can also make extra and save a jar of it for later. To store the basil tomato sauce properly, let it cool completely in the pan before transferring to any other containers. 

Once the sauce is cooled, you can then transfer the mixture into a sealable glass jar, or an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. 

The tomato sauce will keep for up to 4-5 days.

When/Where To Use Homemade Tomato Sauce

You’ll definitely end up wanting to put this lots of fresh basil tomato sauce on anything you can get your hands on! It goes great with just about any pasta dish of course, but the list doesn’t just stop there. 

Level up your next homemade pizza night by making your own sauce, instead of going for the store bought. It also makes for a great dipping sauce for breadsticks or any other appetizers that need a little extra sauce.

basil pasta sauce in a black pan with parmesan cheese

More Tomato Recipes Here: 

Tomatoes are a staple in my kitchen, and I love all the different ways I can dress them up to make a whole new fun and exciting dish, and remember the summertime calls for an Easy Italian Bruschetta or how about making a fresh Tomato Pesto?

Tomatoes should never be confined to just pasta sauce, so I always try to mix things up and incorporate tomatoes into our meals in a variety of ways.

Be sure to check out a few of my favourite ways serve up tomatoes!

Don’t forget to serve your Basil Tomato Sauce with a good topping of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. Oh and don’t forget a slice of Italian Crusty Bread to wipe up all that delicious sauce left in the bowl. Buon Appetito!

up close basil tomato sauce in a pan with rigatoni
basil tomato sauce with pasta in an iron skillet

Lots of Fresh Basil Tomato Sauce

Rosemary Molloy
An easy Homemade Fresh Basil Tomato Sauce, makes the perfect Pasta Sauce for any day of the week. Simple, Healthy and Delicious.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 264 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup fresh basil chopped (21 grams)
  • 1 can pelati (peeled) tomatoes, chop if whole (do not discard liquid) (no additions) 14.1 ounces (400 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 -2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 3/4 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • hot pepper flakes to taste
  • 1/4 cup water (60 grams)
  • 3 cups cooked pasta (short eg rigatoni, penne)* (750 grams)

About 1 1/2 – 2 cups (168 – 224 grams) dry pasta.

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot boil water, add salt and cook pasta al dente.
  • While water is boiling, in a large pan add olive oil, garlic, can of tomatoes, oregano, salt, hot pepper flakes, fresh chopped basil and water, cook on medium heat until thickened.
  • Add the drained cooked pasta and half a ladle of pasta water, raise the heat and while gently stirring constantly, cook for approximately 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Serve immediately with chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan Cheese.  Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 576mg | Potassium: 419mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 535IU | Vitamin C: 10.6mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2.3mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

Updated from January 23, 2017.

10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This has become a go-to recipe. Simple yet so flavorful, and my daughter begs for it frequently. Thank you!

    1. Hi Joy, really any brand, chopped or whole (and you can chop them yourself) just make sure they are only tomatoes (and some juice is ok) and nothing added. One can is 14 ounces or 400 grams. Let me know how you like it.

5 from 8 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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