Tomato Sauce

Name: Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 2 cans (two 14 oz / 400 g cans) whole peeled tomatoes, 800 g total; Italian plum tomatoes; 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) water, to rinse out the cans; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced; 1 pinch dried chili flakes, optional; 5 g (¾ tsp) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, optional, for roundness; 1 sprig basil, a small sprig

Sweet, simple and smooth, from a can of good tomatoes

Makes: about 750 ml (3 cups), enough for 500 g pasta
Hands-on: 10 min
Total: 50 min
Level: Easy

This is the everyday tomato sauce for pasta, pizza and meatballs: canned tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, butter for roundness and 40 minutes of gentle simmering. It is simple, and the quality of the tomatoes matters most.

Ingredients

2 canswhole peeled tomatoes (two 14 oz / 400 g cans)800 g total; Italian plum tomatoes
200 mlwater (¾ cup + 1 tbsp)to rinse out the cans
3 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
3 clovesgarlicthinly sliced
1 pinchdried chili flakesoptional
5 gfine sea salt (¾ tsp)plus more to taste
30 gunsalted butter (2 tbsp)optional, for roundness
1 sprigbasila small sprig

Diet: Vegetarian, Gluten-free
Allergens: milk
Origin: Italy

Method

Tip the tomatoes into a bowl and crush them with your hands or a potato masher into rough pieces. Swirl 100 ml water in each can and add that too.
Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and chili and cook gently until the garlic is pale gold and fragrant, 1–2 minutes. Do not let it brown.
Add the tomatoes and the salt and bring to a simmer.
Simmer uncovered over low heat, stirring every 10 minutes, for 35–40 minutes, until thickened, glossy and the oil starts to pool at the edges. 40 min
Stir in the butter and basil sprig, then remove the basil after 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt. If the tomatoes are very sharp, a pinch of sugar helps.
For a smooth sauce, blend briefly with a stick blender.

Why it works

Canned tomatoes are picked ripe and cooked once, so they are more reliable than off-season fresh ones. Simmering evaporates water and concentrates sugars and glutamates, while the acidity softens. Butter and olive oil carry the fat-soluble aromas of tomato and round off the acidity, giving a silky finish.

Common mistakes

Burning the garlic: the whole sauce turns bitter. Keep the heat low and add the tomatoes as soon as it's gold.
Using a narrow, deep pot: the sauce takes twice as long to reduce. Use a wide pan.
Covering the pan: the water can't escape and the sauce stays thin.

Variations

Marinara-style quick sauce: Simmer just 15 minutes with plenty of garlic and oregano for a brighter, looser sauce.
Pizza sauce: Don't cook it: blend 1 can tomatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 small garlic clove and 3 g salt; use on Pizza Margherita.