Homemade Tomato Sauce

Category
Mains
Tags
pasta, tomato

Ingredients:

 

  • 2 tbsp. olive or canola oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 can crushed, diced or whole tomatoes (28 ounce)
  • 1 heaping tbsp. dried oregano or thyme
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • Pasta of your choice

 

Method:

 

  1. Fill a large pot with hot tap water and place on stove top at high heat.  Add generous pinches of salt.
  2. Heat your skillet / frying pan over medium-high heat.  Pour in the oil, add the garlic and onions, sauté and stir for a few minutes until the onions soften and brighten.
  3. Add the tomatoes to the onion mixture along with the seasonings.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, to a slow steady simmer.
  4. Once the  pasta water is at a rolling boil, add the pasta of your choice.  Cook until it is al dente (still a little firm, not mushy!)
  5. Drain the pasta (don’t rinse).
  6. If you are serving spaghetti divide evenly amongst your plates and ladle sauce over.
  7. If you are using Penne or Fusilli, add the sauce to the pasta pot, stir to blend and then serve onto plates.

 

Serves 4-6.

A few ways to use your Homemade Tomato Sauce:

 

Meat Sauce

 

Ingredients:

 

  • Homemade Tomato Sauce
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tbsp. oil
  • 1 small onion or 1 tsp dried onion flakes
  • 1 clove garlic or ½ tsp. garlic powder

 

Method:

 

  1. Heat your skillet / frying pan over medium-high heat.  Pour in the oil, add the garlic and onions, sauté and stir for a few minutes until the onions soften and brighten.
  2. Add the ground beef and stir until the beef is browned (no longer pink).  Drain off any excess fat in the pan.
  3. Add your Homemade Tomato Sauce, stir and heat through.

 

Vegetables and Sauce

 

Ingredients:

 

A selection of your favourite vegetables, as an example:

  • 1 cup chopped mushrooms
  • 1 cup chopped peppers, red, green or yellow or a combination
  • 1 small zucchini, chopped
  • 1 onion, cut in wedges

 

Method:

 

  1. Heat your skillet / frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add a tbsp. of oil and the vegetables.  Sauté and stir for a few minutes until they soften and brighten in colour.
  2. Add any additional spice you might like to try (see below) and stir to blend with the vegetables.
  3. Add your Homemade Tomato Sauce, stir and heat through.

 

A few options for Herbs / Spices:

  • Chili flakes (just a few)
  • Thyme
  • Oregano
  • Basil