Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 800 g whole peeled tomatoes, canned
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic, thinly sliced
Seasoning & Aromatics
- 2 fresh basil, whole sprigs
- 4 g kosher salt
- 1 g red pepper flakes
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 116 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 6 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 266 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 332 mg
- Calcium
- 20 mg
- Iron
- 0.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 16 mg
- Phosphorus
- 36 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 19 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 13 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.0 mg
- Folate
- 1 mcg
- Water
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Pour the canned tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl. Using clean hands, crush the tomatoes into coarse chunks, removing any hard stem ends or tough skins if present.
Combine the olive oil and sliced garlic in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and pale gold, about 2-3 minutes. Do not let it brown.
Carefully pour the crushed tomatoes and juices into the pan (watch for splatter). Add the basil sprigs and salt. Stir to combine.
Increase heat to medium to bring to a gentle bubble, then reduce heat to low to maintain a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the oil separates slightly from the tomatoes.
Remove and discard the wilted basil sprigs. Taste the sauce. If it tastes too acidic, add a pinch of sugar (optional). Add more salt if needed.
Chef's Notes
- Hand-crushing the tomatoes results in a superior rustic texture compared to using a blender, which can aerate the sauce and turn it orange.
- The 'oil slick' that appears on top at the end is a sign of a properly cooked sauce; stir it back in before serving for a glossy finish.
- For a smooth 'passata' style sauce, you can pass the finished product through a food mill, but remove the basil first.
- If you have a parmesan rind, add it during the simmer step for extra umami, but remove before serving.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container once fully cooled.
Freezer: 3 months — Leave 2cm headspace in container for expansion.
Reheating: Simmer gently over low heat, adding a splash of water if too thick.
Troubleshooting
Sauce tastes metallic or overly acidic
Cause: Tomatoes were under-ripe or lower quality canning
Fix: Stir in a pinch of baking soda (neutralizes acid) or 2g of sugar (masks acid)
Prevention: Use DOP certified San Marzano tomatoes
Garlic tastes bitter
Cause: Garlic was burned during the sauté step
Fix: Cannot be fixed; the burnt flavor permeates the oil. You must restart the base.
Prevention: Start garlic in cold oil and keep heat low
Cultural Context
Known simply as 'Sugo di Pomodoro' in Italy, this is the mother sauce of Southern Italian cooking. While tomatoes originated in the Americas, this specific technique of slow-simmering them with a soffritto of garlic and oil became a Neapolitan staple in the late 18th century.
