Easy Fresh Tomato Sauce

With the amazing tomatoes we’ve been enjoying from our garden for the last several months, I don’t think I can ever go back to jarred tomato sauce. This easy sauce comes together in about 20 minutes. Then, all you have to do is smell its delicious aroma simmering for about an hour. I used this for Eggplant Parmesan last weekend and it was so yummy! 

A couple of items to note - make sure to simmer the sauce uncovered so it can reduce and thicken up. If you cover it, all that steam will go back into the sauce and make it watery. I made this mistake the first time I made this. Also, don’t skimp on the butter at the end. The butter and balsamic vinegar add just the right amount of acid and fat to balance the tomatoes. My family doesn’t like much spice, but you could easily add some red chili flake or Calabrian Chili Paste if you want a little more punch.

Print Pin

Easy Fresh Tomato Sauce

A great basic tomato sauce when you want something fresh.

Course Lunch, Main Course, Sauce

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 3 Cups

Equipment

• 1 Sharp knife
• 1 Deep saucepan or stock pot
• 1 Immersion blender or regular blender
• 1 Heavy spoon

Ingredients

• 2 ¾ lbs. of fresh tomatoes
• 2 T. olive oil
• 4 large cloves of garlic
• ⅓ c. dry white wine or vermouth
• 1 t. salt more to taste if desired
• ¼ t. finely ground black pepper
• ½ t. sugar
• 2 T. fresh finely chopped basil
• 1 t. balsamic vinegar
• 3 T. butter

Instructions

• Dice the tomatoes in a medium dice removing any stems or imperfections. Thinly slice the garlic gloves and chop the basil.
• Heat the olive oil in a deep pan or pot on medium. Once the oil is good and hot (see tip below), add the garlic cloves and sauté until they are just starting to brown, being careful not to burn them. Quickly, add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the wine, salt, sugar, and basil stirring everything together. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the mixture to a fast simmer. Turn down to low and simmer uncovered stirring occasionally for about an hour.
• The sauce should reduce by about half and thicken nicely. Remove the sauce from the heat and purée with an immersion blender or carefully in a standing blender. While it's still good and hot swirl in the butter and balsamic vinegar. You can use this immediately on pasta or in lasagna or eggplant Parmesan. It will keep in the fridge for a week and also freezes beautifully in a freezer-proof zip-top bag.

Notes

Tip: To test if your oil is hot enough, wet your hand and quickly flick a few droplet's into the oil. Be careful not to get your hand too close as water and oil do not like each other! If the water immediately starts to sizzle, your oil is hot enough.