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Fresh Tomato Sauce Recipe (Italian Style with Fresh or Frozen Tomatoes)

An authentic Italian recipe for making sauce with fresh tomatoes.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 5
Calories: 101 kcal
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lbs tomatoes fresh or frozen, preferably San Marzano or Roma - up to 2 lbs
  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic or 3, fresh
  • 1 Tbsp Italian parsley fresh, chopped
  • 1 kosher salt or more as needed
  • 5 fresh basil leaves fresh, torn

Instructions

For a smooth sauce:
    Cup of Yum
  1. You can simply blend the tomatoes whole, just remove the core, and/or the seeds and skin. I Leave the seeds and skin. Blanch the fresh tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for 45 seconds to peel them easily. For frozen tomatoes, rinse them and the skins will come off easily. 
  2. Scoop or squeeze out the seeds, then cut the tomatoes and process in a blender until smooth. This will make the tomatoes more pale in color, but it won't affect the flavor.
For a chunky sauce:
  1. Choose whether you want to remove the seeds and skin.
  2. Chop into small pieces.
Cook the sauce:
  1. Put the oil into a sauté pan over medium high heat, then add the garlic (smash it under the flat blade of a large knife).
  2. Then add the chopped parsley, but make sure it's dry or the water will make the oil squirt, so keep the lid handy, but don't keep the lid on.
  3. When the garlic starts to brown, quickly add the tomatoes and cover with a lid to keep the squirting inside the pan, once it stops, remove the lid as quickly as possible. Stir with a wooden spoon, and keep it simmering quickly (don't lower the heat too much).
  4. Add the salt.
  5. This sauce cooks quickly, so you need to keep the lid off and stir often while it simmers/boils as there's a lot of water that needs to evaporate, especially if using frozen tomatoes.
  6. When the sauce is thickened, after about 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the tomatoes used, taste and add salt if needed, then throw in some torn fresh basil leaves. Stir and turn off the heat.
  7. Your sauce is now ready to use with pasta or whatever you want to use it for.

Notes

  • See body of post for lots of tips.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1recipe Calories 101kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 6g (2%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 6g Sodium 8mg (0%) Potassium 333mg (10%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 1222IU (24%) Vitamin C 20mg (22%) Calcium 18mg (2%) Iron 0.5mg (3%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 101

% Daily Value*

Serving 1recipe
Calories 101kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 6g 2%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Sodium 8mg 0%
Potassium 333mg 7%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 1222IU 24%
Vitamin C 20mg 22%
Calcium 18mg 2%
Iron 0.5mg 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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