Name: Easy Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2-3 tablespoons olive oil; 1-2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 can whole peeled tomatoes with liquid (1 1/2 to 2 cups) no added ingredients (pelati) (14 ounces) ((400 grams)); 1 teaspoon oregano; 5 leaves fresh basil chopped; ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste); 1-2 dashes black pepper or hot pepper flakes; ⅓ cup water ((78 grams)); 3 - 3½ cups cooked pasta (molto al dente) ((325 grams))

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This Easy Tomato Sauce, is a quick Traditional Italian recipe . Made with a few simple ingredients, you will never use store-bought again! Toss it with your favorite pasta and dinner is served.

The perfect weeknight dinner recipe, makes all types of pasta Delicious. Top with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese and dinner is served. It makes the perfect sauce for Homemade Gnocchi!

If there is one thing that I haven’t been able to live without since moving to this country, it’s tomatoes.

Tomatoes have to be the most versatile vegetables out there. You can cook them, stew them, fry them, bake them, all this and you can also eat them raw!

They say the Italian flag colours, which are red, white and green, represent tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Isn’t that fitting!

Those are the exact colours in this fast, easy and delicious tomato sauce. But instead of mozzarella we have garlic and or Parmesan Cheese.

Table of Contents

Recipe Ingredients

Olive oil – good quality
Garlic – minced
Tomatoes – canned pelati tomatoes (peeled tomatoes nothing added)
Oregano
Basil – fresh or ground or both
Salt
Hot pepper flakes – optional or black pepper a dash or two
Water

How to make an Easy Tomato Sauce

In a medium pot add olive oil and garlic, cook on medium heat for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and hot pepper flakes.

the ingredients for the sauce in the silver frying pan

With a fork squish the tomatoes to break them up, then stir to combine the ingredients.

squished tomatoes and mixed ingredients in the silver pan

Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, then uncover and cook until thickened, but still a little liquid remaining.

Add the cooked pasta a little pasta water, and toss gently, on medium high heat for approximately. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired. Don’t forget the bread.

When you are busy with things to do or you don’t have much time on your hands, but you know a plate of pasta is just what you need, then this is the Tomato Sauce for you.

What is the best pasta to use?

When I make this sauce I like to serve it with gnocchi or a short pasta, such as fusilli, penne, rigatoni or even half rigatoni. We prefer the pasta with ridges rather than smooth, as my husband says it holds the sauce better! Make sure you use a good quality pasta and check the package for cooking time.

How to cook pasta

Always cook the pasta in enough water, you will need 4 cups (1 litre) for 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) of pasta. Be sure to choose the correct size pot, you don’t want the water to reach the rim and overflow, because pasta, when cooked, can increase in volume up to three times. Always cover the pot when boiling the water, but remove it once the pasta has been added.

Calculate about 7 g of salt for every litre of water. Add the salt only when the water has reached a boil and never before.

After adding the pasta to the pot, bring it back to a boil and keep it at a boil while the pasta is cooking. This allows the pasta to achieve an even cooking, be sure to stir frequently while it is cooking.

Never pass the freshly drained pasta under running tap water. You should never stop the cooking, even when you are making a cold pasta salad, let it cool by adding a drizzle of olive oil to prevent it from sticking.

Drain the pasta al dente, this is done by tasting, if it has a bite to it it’s ready, nothing worse than mushy pasta. If you have to toss the pasta in a pan (like this recipe) then cook it at least 1-2 minutes less (pasta very al dente).

What is also great about this sauce is anything left on the plate can be scooped up with a piece of bread, nothing better. In Rome it is called “fare la scarpetta”, or “make the little shoe,” using a small piece of bread mop up the last of the sauce on your plate!

How to store Tomato Sauce

Any leftover sauce should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. It will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

How to freeze it

The sauce can be frozen in a freezer safe container. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. It can be thawed in the fridge or at room temperature, but don’t leave it out more than 2 hours.

So if you are looking for a quick sauce recipe then I hope you try this Easy Tomato Sauce. And remember don’t forget the bread and fai la scarpetta! Buon Appetito!

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