I am no expert chef nor have I had any training but I am particular about red tomato sauce. I worked and juggled meal time trying to stay healthy and avoid process foods as much as possible plus I could never find grocery store red sauce that I liked. That being said, here is a quick and easy recipe for a versatile red tomato sauce that can be adapted to many dishes and recipes. It’s all about healthy choices.
- Prepare time – 10 minutes
- Cooking time – 45 minutes
Basic Introduction
Adding wine – I like to add about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of red wine to the sauce if available. I have added it to the onion and garlic mixture and I have waited and added it directly to the sauce. Both ways work but you want to make sure all the alcohol has been cooked off. That means you cannot taste the alcohol but rather a nice rich red flavor. I have even added Harvey’s Bristol cream on occasion so feel feel to experiment with flavors.
Cooking Pan – Your cooking pans are very important. For the tomato sauce I like to use a medium size All-Clad pan with a lid. This pan was a gift but I have purchased other All-Clad pans at TJ MAXX.
Olive oil – It’s really important that you find a good quality olive oil that suits your taste. There are many articles about purchasing olive oil so investigate and choose wisely.
Ingredients:
- 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
- Small onion chopped – I prefer sweet onions
- 2-3 cloves of garlic chopped or pressed
- 1 29 ounce can of Contadina tomato sauce – you can substitute a can of tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt more or less depending on tastes
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley – I prefer fresh but remember fresh is more potent than dry
- 2-3 leaves of fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- Dash red pepper flakes
- Ground pepper to taste
I begin with these basic herbs and add more amounts as I taste the simmering sauce. I normally double this recipe to have leftovers.
Additional ingredients:
- Fennel – I sometimes will boil fennel in a small amount of water and add the water rather than the fennel
- Mushrooms – It’s one of our favorites to mixup the flavor
- Red wine – We prefer drier California reds
- Spinach – leftover spinach is perfect in a sauce or you can add it to the ricotta if cooking stuffed shells
Directions
Simmer for 30-45 minutes or see other cooking suggestions below.
Directions
- Add olive oil to stove top pan and turn the heat to medium. It may heat up quickly so watch your pan.
- Add chopped onion when oil is heated. I usually add a couple onions to oil to begin with and when they start to cook I add the remaining onion.
- Add pressed garlic to the onions when they begin to look transparent
- Stir the mixture and cook until the garlic begin to turn golden brown. Maybe 2-3 minutes depending on the heat.
- Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boiling on medium heat. Cover and turn the temperature down to simmer.
- Simmer for 30-45 minutes
Cooking suggestions – Generally the rule is the longer the tomato sauce cooks the better it tastes. I usually like tomato sauce the day after but we don’t always have that option.
Most of the time I will simmer the sauce on the stove top for at least an hour before tasting and adding more spices if desired.
This recipe can be put in the crockpot and cooked on low for 4-5 hours.
If you are in a hurry you can cover and cook on medium low (nice slow bubble) for 30-45 minutes. Make sure you watch and stir your sauce frequently. There’s nothing more disappointing than burnt red sauce on the bottom of your pan.
Meal Suggestions
- Baked ziti
- Italian turkey sausage sandwiches
- Lasagna
- Mix it with your favorite pasta and a salad
- Oven baked chicken parmesan
- Portobello mushroom pizza or any other pizza
- Spaghetti squash boat
- Stuffed shells
2FitzCrew 