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A close up overhead shot of tomato sauce in a skillet with two slices of char-grilled bread at the side.
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5 from 17 votes

Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce

An easy Italian tomato sauce made from scratch with just 4 ingredients in only 10 minutes! This tomato sauce is perfect for pasta, pizza or simply for dunking some char-grilled ciabatta into. It's SO rich in flavour and couldn't be easier.
Prep Time2 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time12 minutes
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 50kcal
Author: Emily Wyper

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Finely chop or crush the garlic and add it to a skillet or frying pan with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the garlic for 1 minute or until fragrant (don’t let it brown).
  • Add the tomatoes then rinse out the can with 1-2 tablespoons of water and add that to the sauce. If your tomatoes are quite chunky or you prefer a smoother consistency you can use a potato masher to crush them at this point (optional).
  • Add a pinch of salt and simmer on a medium heat for 8-10 minutes until reduced slightly. Turn off the heat and add a handful of freshly chopped basil (optional).
  • If serving with pasta, use a small amount of pasta water to emulsify the sauce, add the pasta and toss until thoroughly coated (sauce makes enough for 400g or 14oz of pasta to serve 4).

Video

Notes

  • Buying tomatoes - the quality of the tomatoes is the most important part of this recipe. The two brands I trust and use often are Cirio and Mutti. I have heard good things about Cento tomatoes in the US but have never used them myself. Don't use tomatoes that are canned in water.
  • Storage - The sauce can be frozen in a suitable container or freezer bag.

Nutrition

Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg