Basic Tomato Sauce

IMG_2044

This recipe is a life saver! There’s always a batch in the fridge and another in the freezer. Perfect for pizza, pasta, calzone and dipping sauces. It also easily morphs into chili and Sloppy Joes.

Basic Tomato Sauce
Forget about jarred marinara – this recipe is simple and better for you!
Makes: 1 quart

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
½ teaspoon ground fennel
1, 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add fennel and cook for 20 seconds, until fragrant. Add tomatoes and sugar; season with ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add basil and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Puree sauce using an immersion blender* until smooth.

(*If you do not have an immersion blender, puree in a countertop blender in small batches. Make sure to hold the top of the blender closed with a dish towel while the machine is on.)

Nutrition Info Per ½ cup
: Calories: 68; Total Fat: 4 g rams
; Saturated Fat: 1 gram;
 Total Carbohydrate:  9 grams
; Sugars: 1 gram; Protein: 2 grams ; Sodium: 202 milligrams
; Cholesterol:  0 milligrams
; Fiber: 2 grams

Find Me on Social

Find Other Recipes

Recipe Categories

More Recipes

Food Network Nutrition Expert

Explore my additional content on Food Network's Healthy Eats Blog!

Sign Up for My Newsletter!

Explore Other Recipes

Straw Nana Smoothie

Serves 2 1 cup skim milk ½ cup water 1 cup frozen strawberries 1 large frozen banana ½ cup nonfat strawberry Greek yogurt 1. Place

Read More »

Dragon Fruit Drinks

From latte to refresher 🙂 these naturally energizing beverages will give your senses a boost – caffeine free! These recipes are proof that simple ingredients

Read More »

One Response

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.