It's the simplest things in life that give us pleasure, right? A walk in the park, a nice movie, a good book, a cup of tea....why complicate when we can so easily make ourselves happy? No, don't worry, I haven't suddenly achieved a zen- like attitude ...though God knows how much I need it!! But I do like to use this philosophy whilst in my kitchen. Case in point, this Simple Tomato Sauce!
Its one of those recipes that are incredibly easy and versatile. It doesn't take more than 20-30 minutes to make, depending on the quantity of tomatoes you're using. Of course, you can cook it down for a longer time if you wish to get a richer, deeper flavoured sauce.
And what do you do with it? Apart from the usual suspects..pasta and pizza, I even use it ( with a little modification) for my Indian curries or for making a quick masala rice, in a tomato risotto or for shakshuka ( baked eggs in tomato sauce), its great in soups and for adding oomph to burgers. Sometimes it can brighten up a simple toast or parantha as well. The possibilities are endless.
You can make this sauce as spicy as you like. I like to keep it fairly mild and then add more seasonings according to the dish I'm making. It keeps well in the refrigerator for a week and for maybe a month or two in the freezer. Try to use the best quality tomatoes. You want the fresh, bright, clean flavours to come through. I like to keep this sauce chunky like in this post, sometimes though I run it through my blender to make very smooth. You can also add a dash of cream right at the end to make it velvety rich.
So why go for a store-bought, preservative laden tomato sauce when you could make a fresh, healthy, simple version at home in a cinch! I’d love to know how this turned out for you. Leave a comment below and share a picture on INSTAGRAM using the hashtag #tashasartisanfoods !
Simple Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 10 Tomatoes roughly chopped
- 5-6 cloves Garlic
- 1 Onion, small finely diced
- 1 Tbsp Extra virgin Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Chilli flakes
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp sugar if needed
Instructions
- Puree tomatoes and garlic in your blender until smooth.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Add chilli flakes, oregano and onion. Cook for a few minutes until the onion is softened. Add the tomato puree and salt. Simmer on medium low for about 20-25 minutes, till the sauce is thickened and chunky.
- Taste and adjust for salt. You may need to add a bit of sugar if the sauce is tart.
- You can also puree the sauce to make it very smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Mimi says
Beautiful. There's nothing simpler than a tomato sauce. I don't understand why people buy it in jars!
natashaminocha says
Thank you so much Mimi! I totally agree with you.When we can get superior fresh quality at home, why bother with jars at all!So glad you stopped by. 🙂
cheers
Supriya Kutty says
This is really so simple recipe of Tomato sauce I have ever seen in my life. I will try this tomato sauce recipe asap for sure. This is so healthy cz It's not coming to the preservative category. Loved this completely. Bookmarked this recipe of yours dear. Looking forward to more recipes like this. Best wishes and regards.
natashaminocha says
Aw thank you Supriya! You leave the kindest comments. Means so much to me. Do let me know how this worked out for you. Lots of love
Swathi says
I love your recipes. With this I'm curious though.... Why grind the garlic and tomato together... I thought the garlic in the olive oil would taste better. Wanting to learn 🙂
Natasha Minocha says
Thanks so much, Swathi!
I just do this as an additional time-saver, as there is no garlic chopping required. It just gets ground with the tomatoes. Of course, you can sautee the garlic in olive oil first. 🙂
Megha Jindal says
This recipe has become a staple for me... mostly use it for home made pizza and pasta ... simple, healthy, delicious. Thanks for sharing. Love your blog , have followed many recipes but never commented 🙂
Natasha Minocha says
Thank you very much, Megha! You really made my day. It brings me so much joy to know that you're enjoying the recipes. So grateful for your support. xoxo