Pomodoro Sauce

One bite of this delicious tomato sauce will make you feel like you're dining in an authentic Italian trattoria, without ever leaving your kitchen!

Prep: 15

Cook: 45

Total: 1

Yield:6 servings

Equipment

Large saucepan 6-quart or 8-quart
Large wooden spoon or silicone spatula
immersion blender or standard blender, see Notes

Ingredients

For the Pomodoro Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped, approximately 1 cup
3 large cloves garlic minced, approximately 2 tablespoons
2 28-ounce cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes 56 ounces (1588 grams) total, do not drain
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt more or less to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper more or less to taste

Serving Suggestions (All Optional)

cooked pasta of choice
grated parmesan

Instructions

Place large saucepan on stovetop over medium-high heat. When saucepan is warm, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Swirl and tilt pan as needed to distribute oil across surface of saucepan, and continue heating saucepan until oil is hot and shimmery.
When oil is ready, add 1 medium onion (chopped) to saucepan and stir to incorporate onion into oil. Sauté onions, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until onions are very soft.
Once onions have softened, reduce heat under saucepan to medium. Add 3 large cloves garlic (minced) and stir to incorporate. Sauté garlic 60 seconds or until just fragrant, stirring constantly.
When garlic is fragrant, add 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes and stir to incorporate. Increase heat under saucepan to high and bring mixture to boil, stirring occasionally.
When tomato mixture begins to boil, immediately reduce heat under saucepan to low. Simmer mixture 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with wooden spoon or spatula.
After 20 minutes, add ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves to saucepan and stir to incorporate. Simmer mixture 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
After 5 minutes, remove saucepan from heat. Add 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, then stir to incorporate. Let mixture cool slightly.
When mixture has cooled slightly, insert immersion blender into saucepan. Purée mixture until sauce is thick and mostly smooth. See Notes below if using standard blender.
When satisfied with consistency, taste sauce and adjust salt and/or pepper if needed. When satisfied with flavor of sauce, add cooked pasta of choice to saucepan and stir to cover pasta in pomodoro sauce.
Portion pasta and pomodoro sauce evenly between serving bowls or plates, top with grated parmesan if desired, and serve immediately.

Notes

Unlike other pasta sauces, pomodoro sauce is intended to be served in smaller amounts, just enough to cover the pasta but not so much that your pasta is heavily coated in sauce.

Tips for Blending Hot Mixtures

Fill the blender no more than halfway. You may have to blend your ingredients in a few batches.
After pouring the mixture into the blender, let it sit a few minutes to cool slightly before blending.
Before blending, remove the center cap from the blender lid and cover the hole with a dish towel instead. This will keep pressure from building up inside the blender. Keep your hand on the lid to hold it down while blending.

Nutrition

Recipe By:Cheryl Malik