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Rich Italian Tomato Sauce Recipe for Pasta, Pizza, Meatballs, Parmas and More

Make this Italian tomato sauce recipe for an incredibly rich tomato pasta sauce that can be served with any kind of pasta or meatballs and spread onto pizza bases or parmas, and you’ll never buy a store-bought jar of Italian pasta sauce again. Quickly made, it tastes like it’s been simmering on the stove for hours. The key ingredient: a can of tomatoes.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4
Calories: 185kcal
Author: Lara Dunston

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled and lightly pounded in a mortar and pestle
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes
  • 1 large whole onion peeled, finely diced
  • 2 400 g cans crushed tomatoes best quality you can source
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp sugar – optional
  • 1 tbsp fresh basil leaves torn or roughly chopped – optional

Instructions

  • To a large frying pan or skillet, over medium-high heat, add the extra virgin olive oil and heat, then add the garlic cloves and fry for a minute or so until fragrant, then add the chilli flakes, stirring well with a wooden spoon or spatula to combine.
  • When the garlic cloves start to brown and sizzle and splutter, remove the cloves and set them aside but do not discard.
  • Immediately add the finely diced onions to the pan and fry, stirring only occasionally so the onions don’t burn and adjusting the heat as necessary, until they’re soft, almost translucent and aromatic.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and sea salt, and stir to combine well. If you’re a garlic lover, return the garlic cloves to the sauce now; if you’re not, leave them out.
  • Turn the heat to high so the sauce is bubbling. It will reduce fairly quickly on high heat, so stir the sauce occasionally.
  • When the tomato sauce is thick and luscious, turn the heat to low, taste, and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if needed; if it’s a little acidic, add some sugar. If you’re a fan of basil, add the leaves now and stir to combine.
  • If serving with pasta or meatballs – add the cooked pasta and/or meatballs to the pan and simmer a little before plating. Otherwise, remove from the heat, leave to cool, then transfer to a jar and refrigerate for later use. It’s fantastic spread onto pizza or parmas.

Nutrition

Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1365mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 440IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg