When I first started cooking, I would overcomplicate everything. A dash of this, a pinch of that, and pretty soon I could hardly keep track of my own recipes.
While I’m still a huge fan of herbs and spices in tomato sauce, I realized that I don’t have a simple go-to recipe of my own; it’s different every time. So, today I’m sharing a delicious tomato sauce with only 5 ingredients!
The key to a great sauce is time. Onions must sweat. Herbs must infuse. And it all needs to soften together for flavors to fully integrate! So as you simmer and season this sauce to taste, you’ll notice that the flavor profile changes over time. And that’s the exciting part– finding out where that sweet spot is for you!
5 Ingredient Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
- Tomato: 1 can diced tomatoes + tomato paste to thicken.
- Onion: 1 onion finely chopped.
- Garlic: 1 clove minced.
- Basil: 2 tablespoons dried.
- Sweet: brown sugar, to taste.
In a pan over medium heat, sweat the onions and garlic in olive oil (okay, fine– olive oil is ingredient #6 if you’re counting). Allow the vegetables to slowly cook and become translucent.
Transfer the onion and garlic to a saucier over medium. Add the can of tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the basil and brown sugar.
As the sauce begins to come together, slowly add the tomato paste, 1 tsp at a time to desired thickness. Simmer the sauce for at least 10 more minutes.
** Makes about 2 large servings of sauce. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. This is a chunky tomato sauce: hearty, flavorful and 100% vegetarian. For those who like a smooth sauce, be sure the mince the onions and use crushed tomatoes, or blend the finished sauce in a food processor.
Buon appetito!
Do you like to make tomato sauce from scratch? What are your essential ingredients?
