Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce
This homemade tomato sauce recipe has a secret ingredient… and it’s not the tomatoes.
I’m not saying that perfect tomatoes aren’t critical… they are THE MOST IMPORTANT ingredient. But I’ve added a little something else that gives this sauce a subtle layer of umami complexity.
A Parmesan cheese rind.
I’ve always saved (in the freezer) Parmesan cheese rinds to use in soups and stews as they simmer. But the other day I was making tomato sauce and I felt like it needed a little oomph. I dropped in a cheese rind and, viola! Enchantment.
Don’t flinch when you see that I used canned tomatoes. I know most homemade tomato sauce recipes call for fresh tomatoes. That’s great, but I think canned Italian San Marzano tomatoes (the ONLY canned tomato you should use for sauces) deliver a more consistent result.
I added the 4 other (not so secret) ingredients and used my Pauli Cookware to gently simmer the sauce until it was thick and rich with flavor. This recipe makes a lot of sauce, so use some now and freeze the rest!
Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce
prep: 10 minutes
cook: 2 hours or longer
makes about 8 cups of sauce, depending on how long you cook it
you’ll need…
3 cans (28 ounce each) whole San Marzano tomatoes
¼ cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1 Parmesan cheese rind
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon salt
let’s get to it…
Chop the tomatoes, reserving the liquid; set aside.
Warm olive oil in a large stockpot over low heat for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and liquid, Parmesan cheese rind and oregano. Cover, with the lid slightly ajar so steam can escape. Cook for 1 hour, stirring often.
Stir in salt. Cook for 1 hour (or longer), stirring often, until sauce is thick and liquid has evaporated.
Here are a couple of recipes to make with the tomato sauce:
Baked Ziti with Mini Meatballs
