Take your pasta to the next level by pairing it with this traditional San Marzano tomato sauce. It uses authentic flavors and only takes 30 minutes to make.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This recipe is for sure one of the best tomato sauce for pasta recipes I’ve eaten! One thing I love is that it’s so quick and easy to make, and most of the ingredients are from the pantry.
If you love Italian food and are especially interested in authentic Italian flavors, this recipe is for you!
- Traditional Italian Pomodoro sauce
- It only takes 30 minutes
- Uses 5 ingredients
- Pantry stable ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Since the recipe is so simple, it’s extra important to use high-quality ingredients.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil. It doesn’t need to be cold-pressed, but it should be high quality as it will add a lot of depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Onions: Yellow onions are the onions you’ll want to use. A large or medium-sized onion is a good size to use.
- Garlic: You can either mince or slice the garlic. Just make sure to cook it on low to release those sweet garlic flavors.
- San Marzano Tomatoes: San Marzano tinned tomatoes can come chopped, plum or sieved; any of those works!
- Basil: Use fresh basil; it adds a much better flavor than basil to pasta sauces.
Expert Tips & Tricks
When it comes to simple recipes, the small details turn good into excellent. These tips are from what I’ve learned in my 8-year professional cooking career and trips to Italy.
Sauté the onions and garlic slowly
Slowly cook the onions and garlic over low heat. It will caramelize the natural sugars in them and help release their natural sweetness.
The sweetness from softening the onions and garlic slowly will balance the slight acidity from the tinned tomatoes. This means we can cook the tomatoes for slightly less and savor some of their fresh flavors.
Simmer the tinned tomatoes
To retain some freshness from our premium tinned tomatoes, simmer them and don’t boil them. If you boil them, you will lose the freshness from the tomatoes, which we want to keep.
Step by Step Instructions
1) In a large pot over medium-low heat, sauté onions in the extra virgin olive oil for 6-8 minutes, until softened.
2) Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, ensuring that the onions or garlic don’t brown.
3) Add San Marzano tinned tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Slowly simmer for 15 minutes, mixing occasionally.
4) Mix in fresh basil, then taste and season with salt.
Storage Information
This tomato sauce recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up 3 days.
Tip: Store the tomato sauce in an airtight glass container. The tomato sauce won’t stain the container like it would a plastic container.
More Italian Recipes You May Like
- Italian Sausage Pasta
- Penne all’Arrabbiata
- Ragù alla Bolognese
- Riso allo zafferano (Saffron Risotto)
- Spaghetti Carbonara
- Wild Mushroom Risotto
San Marzano Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Onion finely diced
- 800 grams San Marzano Tinned Tomatoes
- 1 bunch Fresh Basil sliced
- Sea Salt
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-low heat, sauté onions in the extra virgin olive oil for 6-8 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, ensuring that the onions or garlic don't brown.
- Add San Marzano tinned tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Slowly simmer for 15 minutes, mixing occasionally. Mix in fresh basil, then taste and season with salt.