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Best EVER Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe

This is a rich, condensed flavourful multi-purpose tomato sauce. Once you make it, you'll never make another recipe.

Course Sauce or Condiment
Cuisine Canadian Italian
Keyword Sauce
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 2 cups
Calories 265 kcal
Author Valerie Lugonja

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 100 grams or 1/2 medium onion diced
  • 75 grams or medium carrot diced
  • 75 grams or one stalk of celery including green tops, diced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes including juice (DOP tomatoes make ALL the difference OR fresh from the garden heirloom tomatoes)
  • 85 grams or 3 ounces tomato paste 1/2 small can
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste (start with a teaspoon of salt)

Instructions

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in heavy wide skillet on medium heat
  2. Add chopped onion, carrot, celery and parsley
  3. Stir to incorporate; saute for 3 minutes
  4. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened and cooked through
  5. Remove cover; add garlic and stir for 30 seconds
  6. Add tomato paste, basil and oregano; stir to coat (about 30 seconds to a minute)
  7. Add canned tomatoes; simmer (reduce heat to low) uncovered, until thick (about 90 minutes to 2 hours)
  8. Puree in blender, if preferred (I don't)
  9. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed (start with a teaspoon of salt)
  10. Cool and measure 1/2 cup portions of sauce into freezer bags; label and date

Recipe Notes

This is a lovely thick condensed sauce: I only use 1/4 cup for a pizza (use sparingly, it goes a long way). I make 4 times this recipe as it takes no longer and makes much more.