Once you try this homemade tomato sauce, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought versions. Beyond being fresh and healthy, it is incredibly flavorful and easy to make.
Ingredients for Homemade Tomato Sauce:
- 6 ripe Roma tomatoes;
- 1 carrot;
- 1/2 yellow onion;
- Fresh basil leaves, to taste;
- Salt, to taste;
- Black pepper, to taste;
- Paprika (or annatto/achiote), to taste;
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil;
- 3/4 cup beef broth (or water if preferred);
- Fresh chopped scallions/chives, to taste.
How to make homemade tomato sauce:
- Peel the tomatoes and chop them into medium-sized pieces;
- Dice the carrot into small cubes;
- Finely chop the onion;
- In a saucepan, combine the tomatoes, carrots, onion, black pepper, salt, paprika, olive oil, and the beef broth (or water);
- Simmer over low heat until the tomatoes have completely broken down and melted;
- Stir in the fresh basil and scallions;
- Let it boil for an additional 2 minutes;
- Remove from heat and serve.
Tips and suggestions:
You can use the sauce immediately, or let it cool and store it in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator—it keeps well for several days. This sauce is a perfect base for Bolognese, pasta dishes like lasagna, or your favorite Chicken Parmigiana.
A bit about the history of tomato sauce:
Tomato sauce refers to a wide variety of sauces made primarily from tomatoes, usually served as a core part of a dish rather than just a side condiment. It is almost always associated with pasta dishes, such as spaghetti or lasagna.
The culinary history of pairing tomato sauce with pasta first appeared in the Italian cookbook L’Apicio moderno, written by Roman chef Francesco Leonardi and published in 1790.
Did you like this recipe? Share it! We have plenty of other delicious and quick recipes on our site!