Basic Tomato Sauce
One of life’s treasures is knowing how to make the perfect, versatile tomato sauce. Just about every culture has its own version of basic tomato sauce. Although most of us think “Italy,” variations of this sauce are prominent in Louisiana, Mexican, French, and South African cuisines, among others.
Tomatoes: Once Feared, Now Revered
Interestingly, the earliest recipe for tomato sauce wasn’t a recipe from Italy, but from the French in 1797. Up until the mid-1800s, most of Europe feared the “poisonous apple” only to discover it shouldn’t have been the fruit they feared but the pewter on which they were eating it. Thankfully, the world now embraces this amazing fruit!
Tomatoes are the quintessential food of summer in the South. Even non-gardeners grow tomatoes. It’s just what we do!
To me, the perfect tomato sauce is thick and packed with flavor from fresh herbs, especially basil. One of the main ways to draw the flavor from the tomatoes is to allow them to reduce, which concentrates the amazing flavor of the vegetables and herbs.
Basic Tomato Sauce
This simple, classic sauce is perfect over pasta, for poaching eggs, on meatball sandwiches, pizza, or open-faced sandwiches for brunch. The sky’s the limit!!
Basic Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin oiive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 lb tomatoes, fresh or canned – peeled and chopped with their juices kept
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and cook over low to medium heat until translucent, approximately 6 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and basil. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Puree the tomato mixture with an immersion blender or food processor.
- Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve or can the sauce.
Can this sauce be canned?
It sure can!! You can use a pressure canner or water bath method. Some tomatoes do not have as much acid as others. My rule of thumb is to add more lemon juice (2 Tablespoons per quart) and let 4 oz cans boil for 40 minutes in a waterbath. I think it is much better to pressure can tomatoes if you haven’t checked the pH. Here’s a link about canning it:https://stacylynharris.com/preserving-your-harvest-how-to-can-and-freeze/