Description
Classic Italian pomodoro sauce delivers pure tomato excellence with San Marzano tomatoes. Seasoned chefs and home cooks savor this simple, authentic sauce perfect for pasta and rustic Italian meals you’ll crave.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 (28 oz/793 g) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 small sprig fresh basil (optional)
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more if needed
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more if needed
Instructions
- Preparation: Gently crush garlic cloves using a chef’s knife to release aromatic oils, creating a flavor foundation for the sauce.
- Sautéing: Heat extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, then add crushed garlic and cook until pale golden, stirring continuously to prevent scorching.
- Tomato Integration: Pour whole canned tomatoes with their juices into the pan, introducing a fresh basil sprig for enhanced aromatic depth, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Simmering: Bring the sauce to a vigorous boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer, breaking down tomatoes with a wooden spoon to create a harmonious texture during the 20-minute cooking process.
- Finishing: Remove from heat, extract the basil sprig, and use an immersion blender to transform the sauce into a smooth, velvety consistency, then refine the seasoning to balance and elevate the flavor profile.
Notes
- Garlic Technique: Crush cloves gently with knife’s flat side to release maximum aromatic oils without bruising or damaging the delicate structure.
- Oil Temperature Control: Watch for shimmering surface, indicating perfect medium heat without smoking or burning the olive oil.
- Tomato Breaking Method: Use wooden spoon’s back to manually crush tomatoes, creating smoother sauce texture and releasing deeper flavors during simmering.
- Blending Final Touch: Use immersion blender carefully to achieve silky-smooth consistency, avoiding over-processing that can make sauce bitter or too thin.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 144
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 318 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg