Italian Tomato Sauce Recipe Delicious and Quick
This is a very tasty tomato sauce recipe that I cook each week. I don’t feel prepared if I haven’t got some freshly made tomato sauce in the fridge because I add it to dishes like pasta, lasagna, rice, casseroles, soups, and even scrambled eggs!
It's so quick and easy to boil up some pasta and dress it with rich tomato sauce and then top it with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Then you just toss a fresh salad and some baby spinach leaves (extremely good for you) in olive oil and lemon juice, add a few olives and there you have it - a healthy meal for a very hungry family!
My mum was Italian and she used to cook this every Saturday morning ready for the week. My grandmother did exactly the same in Italy.
She came from a very beautiful part of northern Italy on the Ligurian coast, a small coastal town called Rapallo near to the magnificent Cinque Terre.
But that’s just the beginning because it's amazing how many dishes require a simple tomato sauce base, so making this each week saves me hours of preparation time during the week.
Here are some recipe ideas for your tomato sauce:
- Have you ever tried scrambled eggs with tomato sauce? They are absolutely delicious! All you do is add a tablespoon of sauce to the eggs when they are almost done -you won't believe how tasty they are served with a chunk of garlic bread!
- Or have you tried putting a spoonful on top of a baked potato with a drizzle of olive oil and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top - delicious and simple and most importantly very nutritious.
- Or you could open a can of tuna fish and add it to the pasta and sauce - that's absolutely delicious and also very good for you.
- Or you could add some spices and lentils and/or cauliflower and make a delicious vegetarian curry.
Here’s the very simple tomato sauce recipe I prepare on automatic pilot.
The secret is to make sure that you fry the onion and garlic until they are soft and the oil separates from them, and then add the tomatoes and a couple of cups of water. Make sure you bring the it to a strong boil until the water starts to reduce a bit, and then let it simmer gently with a lid on for about an hour - keep topping up the water and letting the sauce become dry again, do this a few times and the flavor will deepen and enrich. Take the lid off after about half an hour.
I use organic peeled plum tomatoes – the chopped ones don’t have rich enough juice.
The herbs I use are usually bay leaves and rosemary from my garden, but you can use anything you fancy.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
- Celery ( 2 sticks, peeled and diced)
- Tomato Puree - 1 tablespoon
- 2 medium carrots (peeled and diced)
- 2 Medium onions
- 2 Cans of Peeled Organic Plum Tomatoes (peeled and chopped very finely)
- 2 cloves of garlic (peeled and chopped)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 twigs of rosemary (remove after cooking is complete)
- Water
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Chop all the vegetables as finely a possible in a food processor or using a mezza luna
- In a medium sized saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil
- Add all the chopped vegetables to the pan and fry on a medium heat until the onions are see through or everything starts to soften and the flavors start to mix
- Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, herbs and seasoning
- Fry on quite a high heat for about 5 more minutes - add a little water if necessary
- Cover the sauce with hot water and add a lid
- Boil for about an hour, never let it dry out. Keep adding water and stir occasionally
- The sauce is ready when the oil sits on the top of the tomatoes. See the picture
- If you prefer you can zap the sauce in a food processor to make it smooth
Here's an article I wrote about making your own fresh pasta with an easy to use pasta machine Just click on this link to find a great homemade pasta recipe with step by step instructions.
Do you have your own tomato sauce recipe? Please leave a comment. Thanks very much for visiting
Highly Recommended Site : Nutrition Facts
I have decided to eat much less meat, I have read enough information about it now and I am convinced that it’s not a good thing to eat too much of the stuff! I have just subscribed to one of the best websites about nutrition and health that I have ever come across!
I am not kidding it’s a fabulous site with millions of people subscribed already although it is relatively new. The site belongs to Michael Greger M.D. He is a physician, author, and public speaker who studies nutrition research and posts free daily videos and articles on this site. All proceeds from his books, DVDs, and speaking goes to charity.
Here’s the link: Nutrition Facts Don’t forget to visit after you’ve read my recipe.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2014 Giovanna