Mama mia, it's time to make a classic Italian tomato sauce! *chef's kiss*
Now, I'm not going to lie, this is a pretty utilitarian recipe right here. No razzle dazzle, no smoke and mirrors, just sauce. But when you need a good tomato sauce, this guy right here is your guy.
I love my mom's recipe card for this one:
This card has been around the block a few times! I love to imagine how many different types of meals, ingredients, and other recipes my mom used this little card for. Spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, Stromboli, chicken parmesan, ravioli...the list goes on and on. I recommend pulling this recipe out for all your Italian needs! It's pretty easy – you just need to account for a little while for it to simmer and let those flavors become perfect. It'll be soooo much better than pre-made, store-bought sauce...I guarantee it!
Start your sauce adventure by finely chopping 2 medium onions (I used yellow) and 3-4 cloves of garlic. And actually, the last time I made this sauce, I grated the onion rather than chopping them. I like my onions super tiny and soft in the sauce. But that's just a personal preference!
Next, sauté those chopped onions and garlic in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Mom doesn't give a specific amount of time in the recipe, but doing it until they turned yellow from the oil worked out for me. Next, add in 12 oz of tomato paste, then fill the empty can with water and dump that in too. Stir to combine. Then add the 29 oz can of tomato purée and all of your seasonings: 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of pepper, 1 teaspoon of oregano and 2 teaspoons of dried basil leaves.
Now to let the magic happen! Let the sauce simmer on medium-low heat for 40 minutes so the flavors can fully develop. And that's it! You've now got a badass tomato sauce to use in all of your Italian creations.
For me personally, I always use this sauce when I make my mom's lasagna! I have enough for the lasagna with plenty leftover, so I usually make spaghetti or something the next night with the leftovers. It's perfect!
I hope you love this sauce as much as I do. Let me know what you plan to use it for in the comments below! XOXO
CLASSIC ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
2-3 Tbs olive oil
2 finely chopped medium onions
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
12 oz can tomato paste
29 oz can Italian tomatoes or tomatoes purée
2-3 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp.oregano
2-3 tsp. dried basil leaves, crumbled
DIRECTIONS
Cook onions and garlic in at oil until yellow
Add tomato paste and 1 or 2 cans of water
Add tomatoes or purée and seasonings
Cook on low-med heat for 40 minutes
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