The Perfect Tomato Sauce

In the spirit of the subject, tomatoes, and, realizing that so few people will actually preserve their own, I put together a little recipe that should work wonderfully! Always remember, the quality of the ingredients you use will have a direct result on your final product. So, name brands people, name brands!! Always!


Tomato Basil Sauce (Marinara)


½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I use Colavita)

1 Small Onion, chopped very finely

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 6 oz. can Good Tomato Paste (I like Rienzi, Contadina, or Pagliacci)

2 -1lb 12oz. cans Good Crushed Tomatoes (I like 6 in 1, 7/11 or Tomato Magic)

1 bunch FRESH Basil Leaves

Salt and pepper to taste.

In a large sauce pot, put half of the Olive Oil and the Onions and cook over medium heat until the onions become translucent. Then, add the garlic and continue to sauté until the edges of the onions barely start to become golden brown. At this point, add the Tomato Paste and stir with a wooden spoon (preferably the one your Mother or Nonna hit you with as a kid) and “fry” the paste a little to bring-out its sweetness, about 3 minutes. Then, fill the paste can with some water, scraping the sides of the can and add the water to the pot and stir.

Then you can add the Crushed Tomatoes and use about 1 cup of water to rinse the cans and empty the contents into the pot. Stir to combine. Add the salt and pepper to taste.


Now here’s a technique I like to use for the Basil. Place the basil leaves on the top of the sauce and heat the other half of E.V.O.O. (by the way, I was using the initials E.V.O.O. way before anyone knew who Rachel Ray was) in a pan over high heat until it’s very hot. Then, gently pour the hot oil over the Basil. The leaves will sizzle and spatter a bit, but this will help to bring-out the essential oils of the basil and make it very aromatic. Or you could just stir-in the Basil as is.

Simmer the sauce until the acidity of the tomatoes has been cooked out, usually about 30 minutes to 1 hour and you will have a perfect, REAL ITALIAN “Marinara”.

Buon Appetito!!!