This super easy red sauce recipe can be used as pasta sauce, pizza sauce or marinara by slight variations.
Shelf life: at least 2 weeks in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds – Fresh Ripe Roma Tomatoes, peeled and seeded (to peel the skin: cut a small “x” on the top of each tomato and drop into boiling water for 10 seconds and drop into an ice bath. Skin will easily peel off) OR use 2 cans crushed diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup – Can Tomato paste (Optional)
- 3 cloves – fresh garlic, finely minced
- 1 small bunch of fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 5 large leaves of fresh basil, tear into pieces
- ½ teaspoon – dried Oregano or Italian herbs (Optional)
- 4 tablespoon – Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon – Red Chilli Flakes
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon – honey(Optional)
Method
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté minced garlic until it just starts to brown, and then add red chilli flakes and parsley.
- Turn the heat up to high. Now add the tomatoes, and quickly cover with the lid as it will splatter. Stir it and lower the heat a little. Now add salt and continue to simmer at a fast pace, and stir often.
- Add tomato paste and simmer it. The sauce will thicken in about 8-10 minutes. Thereafter, turn off the heat and add fresh basil, herbs, and pepper. Mix well.
- You can add sauce directly to boiled pasta and serve or can it for later use.
Notes
- Blend the tomatoes into puree if you don’t like diced tomatoes.
- I used ripe tomatoes which were sweet and therefore I did not add honey/sugar.
- Pizza sauce: Do not thicken the sauce too much; turn off the heat within 6-8 minutes.
- Pasta sauce: add parmesan cheese and your choice of herbs before canning or serving