simple, healthy, flavorful: homemade tomato sauce

     There are so many reasons why I always make my own tomato sauce. One simply being comfort - after all, the aroma that fills your home is amazing. Another being flavor - the focus is on the tomato much more than that grocery store jar stuff. And another, perhaps the best reason, is health - you know exactly what is going into it without the preservatives or added sugars of most pre-made tomato sauces.

     If you have never made your own tomato sauce then what better time is there than now to try it? It is SO simple and once you get the basics down (as this recipe is) you can play around and add all sorts of flavors (like oregano, basil, mushroom, etc). I promise you'll find yourself making sauce all the time!

garlic and shallots just before adding the tomatoes

     I had mine with the leftover fusilli from my most recent post, scallop fusilli in an egg yolk sauce, and homemade meatballs. You can really use it in any typical application for tomato sauce. Remember! If you do use it for pasta always save some of the water you cooked the pasta in. The starches in that pasta liquid not only impart flavor but help the sauce stick to the pasta (see below). Just add a little at a time to the sauce and stir in before combining with the pasta.

     Another great thing about homemade tomato sauce is it is so hard to mess up! As long as you have some patience (it is a low-and-slow cook kind of deal) then you will be on your way to culinary success. You can wow your friends and family with your homemade sauce and they'll have no idea how easy it was to make!

starchy sauce sticking success!

Homemade Tomato Sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Servings: makes about 1 cup


You Will Need:

• 3 TBS olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 3 large tomatoes (or 4 regular sized), diced
• 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

1. On low-medium heat, saute the garlic and shallots in the olive oil until they start to sweat in a large pot (this is the point where they become very aromatic and have absorbed some liquid, see above).
2. Add tomatoes to pot and turn up to medium-high heat. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
3. Once at a boil, lower heat to bring to a simmer. Add red chili flakes. Stirring occasionally, let tomatoes reduce and thicken, about 30 minutes.
4. Pour reduced tomatoes into a food processor and pulse until smooth (appearance will still be a little "chunky" but VERY small).
5. Place back into pot and simmer another 5 minutes to thicken further, if desired.

How will you use your tomato sauce?