Easy Italian-American Red Sauce

by Maria February 8, 2024, 3:30 pm 1.3k Views

Easy Italian-American Red Sauce

Craft a mouthwatering Easy Italian-American Red Sauce! Simmered to perfection, this classic sauce boasts robust flavors ideal for pasta dishes.

Rate us!

Print Pin it! Rate us

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Tomato sauce

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1 5

Servings:

Equipment

Large Pot

Immersion blender or potato masher

Stirring Spoon

Ingredients

For the Tomato Sauce:

2 tablespoons 30ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic crushed
Generous pinch red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon 2g dried oregano
3 tablespoons 50g tomato paste
2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 large sprig basil
Kosher salt

Optional Addition:

2 tablespoons 1 ounce, or 28g unsalted butter (optional)

Instructions

Preparing the Aromatics:

In a large pot, combine oil and garlic, and heat over moderately low heat until garlic begins to very gently sizzle.
Add red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until garlic just begins to turn a light golden color, about 3 minutes.
Add oregano and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Incorporating Tomato Paste and Tomatoes:

Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until paste has softened and blended with oil, about 3 minutes.
Stir in canned tomatoes and their juices, increase heat to medium-high, bring to a gentle simmer, then lower heat to maintain.

Blending and Simmering:

Using an immersion blender, blend tomatoes until sauce is smooth. (Alternatively, use a potato masher to crush tomatoes or crush tomatoes by hand before adding to the pot.)
Add basil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced slightly and tastes rich, about 30 minutes.
Season with salt.

Finishing and Storing:

Discard basil. Stir in butter, if using, until melted.
Use sauce right away, or allow it to cool to room temperature, transfer to sealed containers, and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.

Notes

If you favor a rustic, chunky texture, or if you lack an immersion blender, you can manually crush the whole tomatoes along with their juices before adding them to the pot. Alternatively, you can use a potato masher to smash them directly in the pot. However, bear in mind that this method will also result in chunks of crushed garlic in the sauce.