Pomodoro Sauce Recipe

A bowl of pomodoro sauce with a wooden spoon in it.

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This traditional Italian pomodoro sauce requires just 5 ingredients: fresh tomatoes (or canned tomatoes), basil, olive oil, garlic, and salt and yields a rich and cozy flavor.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Servings: servings

Calories: 174kcal

Author: Karishma Pradhan

Equipment

Food processor or blender | optional, see notes

Ingredients

For the homemade tomato purée (optional):

3 pounds fresh tomatoes such as Roma, plum, or San Marzano varieties
2 tablespoons basil leaves packed

For the pomodoro:

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
28 ounces good quality whole-peeled tomatoes or homemade tomato purée see recipe above for homemade
2 tablespoons basil leaves packed
Salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Homemade Tomato Purée (Optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, score an 'X' into the top stem of 3 pounds fresh tomatoes, and prepare an ice bath.
Boil tomatoes for 1 minute, until skin begins to peel, then transfer to the ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skin.
Line a cutting board with a kitchen towel to sop up any juices. Roughly chop the tomatoes and remove any stems or hard, pithy bits. Add tomatoes back to the empty pot along with 2 tablespoons basil leaves.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 25 - 35 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down and can be easily mashed with a spoon. Cool to room temperature.
Transfer to a food processor, and process until mostly smooth. Wipe the pot clean.

For the Pomodoro:

If using canned tomatoes, hand-crush the tomatoes or blend them to your desired consistency.
Set the pot back over medium heat and add ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil with 6 cloves garlic (thinly sliced). Saute for 1 - 2 minutes until aromatic.
Add the canned or fresh tomatoes, 2 tablespoons basil leaves, and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 - 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened slightly and no longer tastes overly acidic.

Notes

Notes on Method:

The recipe can be made with fresh or canned tomatoes. If using fresh, follow the homemade tomato purée steps and expect to tack on an additional hour of prep and cooking time. If using canned, skip to the pomodoro section.
A food processor is recommended for a mostly smooth consistency, but you can also use a blender or skip it if using canned tomatoes.
If you have a food mill, you can skip step 1 and proceed to the simmer step. Then, process in the food mill to remove any skins and seeds instead of the food processor.

Notes on Tomatoes:

Fresh: Choose fresh tomatoes in their peak season, and go with more concentrated varieties, like Roma/plum/San Marzano to prevent the sauce from being too watery. Or, go for a mix like I did, with Roma, cherry tomatoes, and some larger varieties.
Canned: Look for high-quality whole-peeled tomatoes like Gustarosso, Rega, Bianco diNapoli, or Cento.

This recipe yields approximately 2 ½ cups of sauce, enough for 20 ounces of pasta, or 6 - 8 servings.

Nutrition