San Marzano Tomato Sauce Recipe
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Excellent tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil makes a rich and luscious sauce in just 30 minutes. This sauce is simple and basic but the flavors will blow you away!
Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion (or ½ large onion)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 28 ounces (800 grams) canned San Marzano tomatoes (See note 1 and 2)
- 1 teaspoon salt (more or less according to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh basil (chopped)
Instructions
- Puree the contents of the canned tomatoes in a blender or food processor or press them through a fine sieve. Set aside.
- Place garlic cloves on a board and with the flat side of a knife press the cloves to slightly crush them. Remove the skins. Set aside.
- Chop the onion very finely or alternatively mince the onion. Set aside.
- In a cold skillet, add extra virgin olive oil and cracked, peeled garlic.
- Place the skillet over medium heat, allowing the garlic to simmer and become pale gold stirring regularly. Don’t let the garlic burn! Remove the garlic and discard.
- Add the very finely chopped or minced onion to the garlic flavored oil and cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring regularly. Allow the onion to soften but not color beyond golden. Check the cooking of the onion closely and adjust the temperature if you need to.
- Add the pureed tomatoes, a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. At this stage don't add any water - you can always add some later if needed.
- Reduce to low heat and simmer gently uncovered for 20 minutes until slightly thickened. In the last 5 minutes stir in chopped basil. Taste for salt and adjust as desired.
- Delicious stirred through al dente pasta and topped with parmesan cheese!
Notes
- Even though you will be pureeing the tomatoes, always use whole tomatoes for this sauce - the quality is much better than canned crushed tomatoes.
- Look for cans labeled "DOP" (Protected Designation of Origin). This guarantees the tomatoes come from a specific region in Italy known for its ideal growing conditions. You might see "Pomodoro San Marzano dell'Agro Sarnese- Nocerino DOP" or "San Marzano Tomatoes from Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP" on the label.
- Chop the onion very finely or mince it.
- Flavor the oil with garlic by cooking the garlic cloves in the oil until just golden, then remove and discard the cloves.
- Season well and taste to check.
- Don’t simmer for too long. Keep the sauce bright and fresh.
Nutrition
Calories: 787kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 40g | Sodium: 3380mg | Potassium: 2536mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 2029IU | Vitamin C: 84mg | Calcium: 321mg | Iron: 11mg
