# Basic Tomato Sauce for Pasta

> The basic sauce is four ingredients: peeled tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil. The secret is simmering it gently for 40 minutes until the oil floats to the surface — the sign that the water has cooked off and the flavour has concentrated.

**Italian Cuisine · 50 min · 6 servings · 95 kcal per serving**

This sauce underpins half of Italian cooking: pizza, lasagne, any pasta. The usual mistake is simmering it for ten minutes and calling it done, which leaves it sharp and watery. The long, gentle cook is the whole difference.

## Ingredients


### Base
- 800 g — tinned peeled tomatoes (or fresh, peeled)
- ⅓ cup — olive oil
- 5 cloves — garlic, sliced
- 1 — onion, finely chopped

### Seasoning
- 1 tsp — salt
- ½ tsp — sugar, to cut the acidity
- 1 bunch — fresh basil
- ¼ tsp — chilli flakes (optional)

## Method

1. **Soften the onion and garlic** — Heat the olive oil over medium heat and soften the onion for five minutes without colouring it, then the garlic for one minute only — burnt garlic turns the sauce bitter.
2. **The tomatoes** — Crush the tomatoes by hand and add them with half a cup of water (used to rinse out the tin). Add the salt and sugar.
3. **The slow cook** — Half-cover and simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring now and then. You'll see the colour deepen and the oil rise to the surface — that's the sign it's done.
4. **The basil** — Off the heat, add the fresh basil leaves. The residual heat is enough to release the aroma without blackening them.
5. **Texture** — For a smooth sauce, give it two pulses with a stick blender. For pasta, it's better left slightly coarse.

## Tips

- Tinned peeled tomatoes beat fresh ones here — they're picked ripe and give more colour and flavour.
- The oil floating on top isn't a fault — it's the sign of a finished sauce, and it emulsifies back in when you stir.
- It freezes beautifully for up to three months. Make a big batch and portion it into bags.
- A parmesan rind, if you have one: drop it in while the sauce simmers and fish it out at the end — it adds remarkable depth.

## FAQ

### Why is my sauce sharp?
It didn't cook long enough. Acidity mellows with a long simmer. Half a teaspoon of sugar helps, but it's no substitute for the 40 minutes.

### Can I add mince?
Yes — that makes it a bolognese. Brown 300g of minced beef before the tomatoes and carry on as normal, but extend the cooking to an hour.

### Fresh or tinned tomatoes?
Tinned are better and more consistent. If you use fresh, pick very ripe ones, blanch for a minute and peel them.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/italian-cuisine/basic-tomato-pasta-sauce-recipe
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-29