My whole life, tomato sauce has come straight from a can. It’s what I know. It’s what I’m comfortable with. But, after trying pizza with an almost-sweet, crushed tomato sauce, I decided I wanted — nay, needed — to take the marinara-makin’ into my own hands (err, saucepan).
With just five ingredients — half of which you may already have in your pantry — Bon Appetit‘s pomodoro sauce recipe is practically fail-proof. Plus, it freezes and thaws well, so you can make a batch and save it, doling out as much as you need for small-batch meals along the way. Spoon some onto a pita to make your own microwave-oven mini pizzas. Toss a ladle-ful with some freshly cooked pasta (or gnocchi, like I did), top with a sprinkle of fresh basil and parmesan cheese, and pretend you’re vacationing in a little restaurant off a cobbled street in dear sweet Italy. (Of course, we know you have to study and go to class and all that, so this version is a “quick sauce,” meaning you can make it in 20 minutes.)
The sauce is more marinara-like than your typical spaghetti topper, so you may prefer to add a dash of onion powder or garlic powder to ramp up the savory flavor.
You can try the original recipe from Bon App here, or you can try our slightly modified version, which is a little less sweet (and the flavor’s a bit bolder, since my former canned-sauce self needs something with a little tang).
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes (28 ounces)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2½ teaspoons minced garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon sugar (AKA a pinch)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Pour tomatoes into a blender and puree for 10-15 seconds, or until it forms a chunky sauce.
- In a saucepan, combine oil and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently for about 2-3 minutes. Once the garlic starts to brown, add in the pureed tomatoes, sugar and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and let it cook for 12-14 minutes.
