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.
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.