Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

Serves 6

• 1.2kg (42 oz) peeled or crushed tomatoes (3 cans of 400g/14 oz each)
• 2 small cans of tomato paste (135g/4.7 oz each)
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• about ten fresh basil leaves + 6 for finishing
• 2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 tablespoon at the end
• Salt, pepper

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

1. In a large pot, pour the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the quartered onion, garlic, and bay leaf. Sauté for a few moments until the onion starts to sizzle slightly, then add the glass of water, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil leaves, salt, and pepper. Let simmer over medium heat, covered, for 35 minutes.

2. Remove the bay leaf and basil, then carefully pour the sauce into a blender along with the garlic and onion (when blended this way, even those who think they don’t like it (hello, kids!) will love it!). Also add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the fresh basil leaves.

There you have it - your sauce is ready to use for pasta, or for gratins like in these eggplant parmigiana, a delicious Italian eggplant gratin or in lasagna.

Tips

• Why remove the cooked basil leaves and add fresh ones for blending? Basil gives great flavor during cooking, but I’ve noticed that when blended, it becomes slightly bitter. By blending with fresh basil, you get the freshness of basil without the bitterness.

• Tomato sauce freezes perfectly. Ideal for a quick weeknight meal.