How to make a tomato sauce

bbc.co.uk

Watch recipe7 mins

A classic, rich tomato sauce - great with pasta, meatballs or mixed with creamy mascarpone. This recipe makes a big batch - perfect for freezing to whip up quick weekday meals.

Ingredients

For the basic tomato sauce

• 5 garlic cloves
• large bunch fresh basil
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 4 x 400g/14oz cans chopped plum tomatoes
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sausage meatballs variation

• 2 herby pork sausages per person
• 1 tsp olive oil, for frying
• ¼ tsp dried crushed chillies per person (optional)
• spaghetti, cooked according to packet instructions
• freshly grated parmesan, to serve

For the creamy mascarpone sauce variation

• 1 tbsp mascarpone per person
• spaghetti, cooked according to packet instructions
• basil leaves, to serve

Preparation method

1. For the basic tomato sauce, thinly slice the garlic and finely chop the basil stalks.
2. Heat the oil in a wide saucepan or large frying pan, then add the garlic and basil stalks and sizzle for one minute, without colouring them. Stir in the tomato purée.
3. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, and sugar, then season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Simmer for five minutes until the sauce is rich and thick. Stir in the basil leaves just before the end.
4. For the sausage meatballs variation, cut the sausage skin and squeeze the meat from the sausages, pinching it into small meatballs as you squeeze.
5. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, then add the sausage meatballs and fry for 10 minutes or until browned all over and cooked through. Season with the chillies.
6. Stir in some of the tomato sauce then bring to a simmer.
7. Add cooked pasta to the sauce, stirring to coat it in the sauce. Add two tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to thin down the sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmesan.
8. For the creamy mascarpone sauce variation, stir in the mascarpone until melted. Stir in cooked pasta to coat it in the sauce. Add two tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to thin down the sauce. Season to taste and serve scattered with basil leaves.