I usually make a huge batch of this sauce, & freeze it in smaller portionsThis is a simple sauce for pasta (you can try my simple homemade pasta recipe over here) which is really easy to prepare. It’s a ‘standard’ in our house as it keeps forever in the fridge and I also always make a large batch and freeze smaller portions of it in re sealable plastic bags (this way they freeze flat & I can fit more of them in my freezer than using bulky plastic tubs with lids).
My husband likes eating this sauce on bread for lunch sometimes (!!), & other times I add ground meat (beef mince) or chicken to it to bulk it out a little and for a main meal I serve it over pasta, topped with cheese (Parmesan – the real stuff – if I can get my hands on it !) and a nice side salad and some garlic rolls. In fact, whenever I have guests for a meal and I’m not sure if some/all of them are Vegetarian or not, I always make sure that I have some of this sauce out, just incase. (Hah – you see, that goes back to my hotel roots .... force of habit and all that!)
So, here it is …. very simple and incase you were wondering about the addition of brown sugar - that is a trick I learnt years ago from my Dad as it helps to take the acidic taste of the tomatoes out of the sauce a little.
My husband likes eating this sauce on bread for lunch sometimes (!!), & other times I add ground meat (beef mince) or chicken to it to bulk it out a little and for a main meal I serve it over pasta, topped with cheese (Parmesan – the real stuff – if I can get my hands on it !) and a nice side salad and some garlic rolls. In fact, whenever I have guests for a meal and I’m not sure if some/all of them are Vegetarian or not, I always make sure that I have some of this sauce out, just incase. (Hah – you see, that goes back to my hotel roots .... force of habit and all that!)
So, here it is …. very simple and incase you were wondering about the addition of brown sugar - that is a trick I learnt years ago from my Dad as it helps to take the acidic taste of the tomatoes out of the sauce a little.
Tomato, Onion & Basil Sauce
Olive Oil
6 red Onions, finely chopped
3 tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
2 x 400 gm tins peeled Tomatoes, chopped
1 x 70 gm tin Tomato Paste
2 tbsp mixed herbs (Basil)* use fresh if you have
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tbsp brown Sugar
½ cup cold Water
Pan fry the onions & garlic in some olive oil until golden, then add the tinned tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to blend and season with the basil, salt & pepper to taste. Add the sugar and the water and bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken and for all the flavours to develop.
(The taste of this sauce develops with time, so it’s always best to make it at least a day before you plan to eat it.)
