An absolute basic yet classic recipe. This rich tomato sauce is simple to make and has so many flavour variations it is sure to become a staple in your kitchen.
This tomato sauce will work as a foundation for so many dishes. It is amazingly versatile and allows you to add a whole heap of different flavours to it. However, even in its simplest form of just tomatoes, it is rich, balanced and delicious served with pasta, meat and fish or reduced down for a pizza sauce.
This rich tomato sauce is also ideal as a pizza topping if you like to make your own homemade pizzas. All you have to do is simply leave the lid off and simmer for longer, around 30 to 40 minutes until it has reduced and thickened.
The benefits of a homemeade rich tomato sauce
I am a big advocate for homemade options. The main reason for this is I know exactly what is going into my food, it helps me to accurately carb count a meal for my daughter and I hope I can show you that it still can be convenient it just requires a little extra time.
This rich tomato sauce is:
- refined sugar-free
- doesn’t have any hidden nasties
- takes 5 minutes to prepare
- is full of flavour and
- can quite easily be batched cooked for freezing
As I mentioned this rich tomato sauce is so versatile and you can add any sort of additional flavours to make it the perfect foundation to your dishes. Here are some other flavour variations you could try:
- Add any fresh or frozen herb
- Add extra vegetables such as peppers, courgettes or aubergines
- Add spices such as paprika, curry powder or harissa to name a few
- Add a spice paste such as chipotle or harissa
I use this rich tomato sauce as a great base for lots of other recipes. Some other recipes that you can find here on WHK are:
What you will need to make a rich tomato sauce:
- Tinned tomatoes
- When heated they release more antioxidants.
- They are a brilliant source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits
- Also a great source of vitamin C and K
- Onions
- Bring an essential flavour and gentle sweetness
- Frozen chopped onions work brilliantly in this sauce as well
- Garlic
- You can’t have a tomato sauce without this core flavour
- Again I sometimes use frozen in this recipe
- Balsamic vinegar
- Made from unfermented grape juice
- Adds sweetness to offset the tartness of the tomatoes
Diabetes Note
Whilst there is a little added sugar in balsamic vinegar, we have found that as the quantity is so small per serving we have not needed to count for this. However, that is totally a personal choice and you know best what to carb count for.
Rich Tomato Sauce
A classic rich tomato sauce that is simple to make and has so many flavour variations
4
servings5
minutes30
minutes35
minutesIngredients
2 tins tomatoes
1 glug olive or rapeseed oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Directions
- Sweat the chopped onion in a good glug of olive oil on a low heat for around 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes
- Pour in the tinned tomatoes along with the balsamic vinegar. Pop the lid on and simmer on a gentle heat for 20 minutes.
- Using a hand blender, blitz until you reach the desired sauce consistency.
- Season well and taste to get it right for your palate
Tips and Notes
- If you are making this sauce as a pizza topping, keep the lid off in step 2 so that the sauce reduces and thickens
- Vary your blitzing time, less for a more rustic sauce or longer for a thicker, smoother sauce
- Diabetes Note – there is a little added sugar in balsamic vinegar, we have found that as the quantity is so small per serving we have not needed to count for this. However, that is totally a personal choice.
