How to Make Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Tomato basil pasta sauce is what we are famous for, and in this recipe, I’m going to share all the secrets to this simple, thick, luscious recipe, that will take you right to my Nonna’s house for Sunday lunch. Get your kitchens ready to be infused with the aromas of fresh tomato and basil and plan a special meal to hero this finger-licking sauce, because one you try it, I can bet you will never spend money on artificial store-bought sauce, ever again. This tomato basil pasta sauce is completely homemade, preservative free and I think it’s so good, you could even be tempted to drink it!
Watch my Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce video recipe:
How to Make Best Italian Tomato PASTA SAUCE RECIPE
Vincenzo’s Top Tip To Make Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Important to UNCOVER
It is important to let the sauce simmer without the lid so that the sauce does not become watery and by uncovering it, the steam will leave the pot and allow the sauce to thicken even more.
Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Chopping-board
- Hand blender
- Medium – large size pot
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil EVOO
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrot
- 75-100 grams Fresh basil leaves 2.6 – 3.5oz
- 2.5 kg Homemade passata 10.42 cups. Store bought or Peeled/chopped Italian tomatoes
Instructions
- Tomato basil pasta sauce is made with a “Soffrito” which is a blend of fresh ingredients used at the very beginning of the recipe.
- To make the soffrito, chop up 1 carrot, 100g onion and 1 celery stalk (including the leaves!).
- Add all of these ingredients into the base of a hand blender with 100ml of extra virgin olive oil, until it becomes beautiful and creamy, like a puree. This will form a flavoursome base for your tomato basil pasta sauce.
- Next, turn the stove on to a very gentle heat and place the pot on top. Add 3-4 tablespoons of EVOO and pour in the soffrito mix.
- Gently stir the soffrito so it covers the base of the pot, cover it with a lid and leave it to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- If you are using chopped or peeled tomatoes, blend them up so they become a beautiful thick passata. If you are using homemade or store bought passata to make your tomato basil pasta sauce, then you can skip this step!
- After ten minutes, the soffrito will start to darken in colour. Stir it using a wooden spoon (making sure it is not burning) and then leave it to simmer for at least another 5 minutes.
- When the soffrito is ready, mix through the tomato passata and stir very well using a wooden spoon.
- Sprinkle 10g/2.2 teaspoons of rock salt and some black pepper and mix through.
- Now, just cover the tomato basil pasta sauce with a lid and leave it to simmer slowly for 1-1.5hr, remembering to stir it every now and then.
- After 1hr, remove the lid and leave it for another 30-45min, simmering it without the lid.
- The finishing touch for this perfect homemade tomato and basil sauce is adding fresh basil at the very end. You can cut this up small or large depending on your preference – just make sure you don’t cut it with a knife! Add it with your hands before mixing through and leave this to infuse while the sauce is still hot – but the stove is now off.
- E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!
Video
How to serve Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Enjoy this tomato basil pasta sauce however you like it! Use it with your favourite pasta, enjoy it on a pizza base, smother it over your chicken cacciatore, no matter how you use your sauce, it will add another whole level of flavour to your next meal.
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I just have to leave a note here, and thank you for this recipe. Been watching on Insta for a while, but after trying this recipe a few times, Im finally starting to learn how many things I used to do wrong! Its simple, yet, the most tasty sauce Ive ever had. And this gives me confidence to try a few other recipes from this site, again, thank you!
One little question though, if you don’t mind?
In the recipe, you add the basil at the very end, after the pot is off the stove. How big a difference would it be if the basil cooked from the start? 🙂
BRAVISSIMO VINENZO !!!!!!!
I love garlic, can I add garlic to the recipe?