Simple Tomato Sauce Recipe

On busy nights when I need to get a quick dinner together for the boys I often rely on this simple tomato sauce recipe I learned in my professional baking class. The instructor made the sauce in front of us as we kneaded our pasta dough. By the end of the night we had homemade pasta with this lovely marinara to munch on before leaving.

Enjoy!

Simple Tomato Sauce

(enough for 1 lb of pasta)

Ingredients:

1/2 - 1 Onion, diced

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

pinch of red chile flakes

1 garlic clove minced

5-10 fresh basil leaves

1 28oz can of imported Italian Plum Tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and saute until tender (5-7 minutes). Chop the basil leaves into little strips. Open the can of tomatoes and use the sharp edge of the lid to cut up the tomatoes in the can. Add the garlic and chile flakes. Stir for one minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and basil. Break the tomatoes into bite size pieces. Bring to a boil and then turn down to lowest heat setting. Cook for about 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.

Use as is, chunky, or cool for a few minutes and puree in a blender for a smooth sauce (more kid friendly).

Variations: Add more garlic or chile flakes to your taste. Add a 1/2 C of red wine when you add the tomatoes for a more rich sauce.