Simmered Tomato Basil Sauce

Spaghetti sauce is typically simmered longer than marinara sauce to deepen the flavors and thicken the texture. In this sauce, the sweetness of carrots cuts the acidity of tomatoes. Onions and celery round out the flavor base. Canned tomatoes are used for expediency here, but for the best taste, use fresh, ripe plum tomatoes (about 21⁄2 pounds, or 1.1 kg, peeled, seeded, and chopped). To create a richer flavor, add 1 cup (235 ml) red wine after sautéing the garlic and simmer the wine until reduced in volume by about half. Double the recipe if you like. The sauce will keep frozen for a couple of months.

1⁄4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
11⁄2 cups (195 g) prechopped onion
3/4 cup (100 g) prechopped carrot
1⁄2 cup (80 g) prechopped celery
1 tablespoon (10 g) preminced oil-packed garlic
2 cans (28 ounces, or 785 g) plum tomatoes in puree
2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste (optional)
1/4 cup (15 g) chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried
Salt and ground black pepper


Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Working near the pan, pluck the tomatoes from the can one by one. For each tomato, grab the firm stem end of the tomato and pinch and pull out the core from the tomato flesh. Discard the core and tear the flesh with your hands, dropping the tomato pieces into the pan. Repeat with each tomato. Pour the liquid from one of the cans into pan. Stir in the tomato paste, if using, and 2 tablespoons (8 g) of the fresh basil (or all of the dried). Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the tomatoes break down and thicken and the sauce reduces in volume, 35 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the remaining fresh basil. For a smooth sauce, cool slightly and pass through a food mill or puree with a stick blender or in an upright blender or food processor.


May be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Other flavorful additions include:
• Tomato Sauce with Mushrooms: Add 8 ounces (225 g) presliced
cremini or white mushrooms (about 2 cups) with the
garlic and cook for 5 minutes.
• Tomato Sauce with Roasted Red Peppers: Add 1 cup (130 g) drained jarred roasted red peppers along with the tomatoes.
• Tomato Sauce with Chunky Garden Vegetables: Add 1 cup (130 g) prechopped bell peppers along with the onions. Add 4 ounces (115 g) (1 cup) presliced cremini or white mushrooms
along with the garlic. If you like, add 3⁄4 cup (75 g) chopped zucchini about 15 minutes before the end of the simmering
time. Do not puree.
• Tomato Sauce with Spinach and Cheese: Add 4 ounces (115g) (about 2 cups) prewashed baby spinach leaves and 3⁄4 cup (75 g) pregrated Parmesan cheese about 15 minutes before the end of the simmering time. Cook until the spinach wilts.
• Tomato Sauce with Four Cheeses: Add 1⁄2 cup (50 g) each pregrated Parmesan, pregrated Romano or Grana Padano, preshredded provolone, and ricotta cheese about 15 minutes before the end of the simmering time.
• Tomato Sauce with Meat: Add 12 ounces (340 g) lean ground beef and/or pork along with the garlic and cook until browned, 5 to 8 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon.
• Tomato Sauce with Italian Sausage: Add 12 ounces (340 g) mild or spicy Italian sausage (removed from casing if necessary) along with the garlic and cook until browned, 5 to 8 minutes,
breaking up the meat with a spoon.