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–+ servings
Italian-American sauce

Easy Italian-American Red Sauce

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Craft a mouthwatering Easy Italian-American Red Sauce! Simmered to perfection, this classic sauce boasts robust flavors ideal for pasta dishes.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American, Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

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)

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Immersion blender or potato masher
  • Stirring Spoon

Method
 

Preparing the Aromatics:
  1. In a large pot, combine oil and garlic, and heat over moderately low heat until garlic begins to very gently sizzle.
  2. Add red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until garlic just begins to turn a light golden color, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add oregano and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Incorporating Tomato Paste and Tomatoes:
  1. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until paste has softened and blended with oil, about 3 minutes.
  2. 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:
  1. 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.)
  2. Add basil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced slightly and tastes rich, about 30 minutes.
  3. Season with salt.
Finishing and Storing:
  1. Discard basil. Stir in butter, if using, until melted.
  2. 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.
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