Italian Tomato Sauce from Scratch

Watching the making of a great Italian tomato sauce from scratch, sitting in the old kitchen of my nanny was something that I can never forget. Not to forget, the lovely taste of the Italian pasta with the homemade tomato sauce. Although there are a number of ready-made tomato sauces available in the market, the taste of the homemade Italian tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes is simply the best. Moreover unlike popular perception, making Italian tomato sauce from scratch at home is really easy. So if you want to make the Italian tomato sauce for your pasta the old-fashioned style, then here is a selection of Italian tomato sauce recipes to help you on the way.

Italian Tomato Sauce Recipes

Basic Italian Tomato Sauce for Pasta

Ingredients

• 3 medium-sized whole tomatoes
• 2 medium-sized finely chopped onions
• 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 large peeled and cut carrots
• 1 chopped celery stick
• Salt and pepper
• Ground chili flakes/ cayenne pepper

Preparation

Place a pan on medium heat and pour in some olive oil to cover its bottom. Once the oil is slightly heated, saut some chopped carrots and celery in it to soften the vegetables. Once the carrots and celery are tender, add some chopped garlic and onion. Let it saut for five minutes before taking the pan off the heat. Now in a separate bowl, blend the tomatoes to get a thick consistency. Add the vegetables to the blended tomatoes and stir in. Add some salt and pepper. If you want to add a spicy touch to your tomato sauce then consider adding some cayenne pepper or ground chili flakes. Cook this mixture for thirty minutes on low heat.

Italian Tomato Sauce with Meat

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 7 cloves garlic, sliced
• 3 cans seasoned tomato sauce
• 8 diced tomatoes
• 6 cups water
• 8 cans tomato paste
• 2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
• 2 pounds ground sirloin
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound pork meat, cubed
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs

Preparation

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large pan over low heat. Add half the garlic and the onions and saute for five minutes or so. Now add in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Pour in a little water and let this simmer for a while. Now in a skillet, heat two spoons of olive oil and add in the rest of the garlic. Saute for a minute till they turn slightly brown. Then add the sausage and brown it on each side by cooking it for around three minutes. Cover and reduce the heat once it is done. Cook for an additional five minutes and cut the sausages into half. Pour in the tomato sauce. Now cook the pork over medium heat until tender and then add it to the tomato sauce. Sprinkle in some parsley, oregano, cheese, salt and pepper to the sauce.

In a large bowl, combine ground sirloin, bread crumbs, garlic powder, remaining parsley and form one inch balls of the mixture. Place these balls on a cookie sheet and cook them in a preheated oven of 375 degree Fahrenheit for around twenty minutes or till golden brown. Add these meatballs to the sauce and cook for an additional five hours. Serve this over cooked fusilli or ravioli.

Italian Tomato Sauce with Sausage

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 small cans tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 4 to 5 hot Italian sausages

Preparation

In a large pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add onions and let it turn a slightly golden brown before you add in the garlic. Pour in the tomato paste and add the tomatoes, water and the dried parsley and basil. Let it simmer on low heat for some time. In the meantime, brown the sausages in a skillet and then drain away the extra fat. Add the fresh homemade tomato sauce on top and allow the sausage to simmer for an hour. This is a perfect recipe for Italian tomato sauce for spaghetti. Just pour the sauce over the spaghetti and grate some cheese over it.

Making Italian tomato sauce from scratch is quite simple. Just make sure that you use good quality tinned tomatoes, or fresh ripe tomatoes during the season. Top this over the pastas and gnocchi of your choice for a delicious meal.