Tomato Basil Sauce – Healthy Recipes

This fresh tomato sauce with basil and garlic is an incredibly simple sauce recipe perfect for topping pasta, serving with meatballs, or using on pizza or flatbreads. Grating the tomatoes on a box grater serves to both crush them and remove them from the skins – no blanching required! With a boost of flavor from adding tomato pasta and infusing garlic flavor into every bite of the sauce, as well as some butter melted in at the very end for richness, you’ll love this easy from-scratch tomato sauce recipe.

PREPARATION TIME:

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Ingredients:

4-5 lbs. tomatoes medium – large in size, not cherry or grape tomatoes.
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic smashed
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or Aleppo pepper, optional, more or less depending on spice preference.
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup torn fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon butter optional, but HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Instructions:

Prepare the tomatoes: Slice the 4-5 lbs. tomatoes in half cross-wise (separating the top from the bottom). Squeeze the seeds out, using a spoon to help you scrape them off the surface of the cut-side of the tomato into a bowl or container.

Set a box grater over a shallow bowl and grate the inside of the tomato, separating the flesh from the skin. Discard both the seeds and the skin. Place the tomato pulp into a mesh sieve set over a bowl and allow the liquid to drain. Set aside.
Heat the ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large deep skillet over low heat. Add the smashed 2 cloves garlic and the ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, if using. Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and has infused the oil, but not too browned or burned. Remove the garlic cloves with tongs and set aside. Once it’s cooled, chop it up finely.
Add the 2 tablespoons tomato paste. Stir into the oil, continuing to cook on low for approximately 2 minutes.
Add the tomato pulp into the skillet (I like to start with a ladle of the pulp at first, to prevent too much splattering, then add the rest), and discard the liquid that has drained into bottom of the bowl. Add the 1 teaspoon kosher salt, as well as the chopped garlic from before. Stir together and allow to simmer, uncovered, for at least 5-10 minutes (or until much of whatever liquid remains has evaporated – see notes).
Turn off the heat and add the ½ cup torn fresh basil leaves. and the 1 tablespoon butter, if using. Stir in until leaves have wilted and butter has melted completely. Serve with cooked pasta, with meatballs, on pizza, or however else you use tomato sauce.

Notes:

The amount of time needed after the tomato pulp is added will depend on a few factors – for example, how much liquid was removed from the tomatoes, how watery they were to begin with, how much time you have available, and your preferences! The longer it simmers, the more concentrated and sweet the flavor will be. Do keep an eye on it, because once the liquid evaporates, the sauce will thicken and may stick to the pot. If this happens, add a little water to loosen it up, and either stop cooking it or add a cover on the pot to continue simmering.
To add a little sweetness to your sauce, which may be necessary with a brief cooking time or if the tomatoes weren’t completely ripe, you can add a little bit of sugar to the sauce. Alternatively, grated carrots are sometimes added to marinara sauce for sweetness – just give them enough time to cook down in the sauce!
Store the sauce in your fridge in an airtight container for about a week, or in the freezer for about six months for best results.

Nutrition:

NUTRITION INFORMATION DISCLAIMER:

The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools: