Pomodoro Sauce (Sugo di Pomodoro)

A plate of spaghetti with pomodoro sauce

5 from 5 votes

Pomodoro Sauce is a simple, delicious Italian sauce made from fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic. We went all the way to Italy to learn this recipe and now we are sharing it with YOU!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Pomodoro Sauce

Servings:

Calories: 66kcal

Author: Erica Walker

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
5 cloves garlic crushed
1 (28 oz) can San Marzano tomatoes whole, peeled
sea salt to taste
10-12 fresh basil leaves or to taste

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds or until garlic barely begins to become golden brown.
Carefully add whole tomatoes and a little salt and lower the heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes (or longer). When tomatoes are soft, use an immersion blender to blend tomatoes until smooth.
Tear basil into smaller pieces and add to the sauce. Add more salt to taste. You want to add salt until it balances out the bright, acidic flavor of the tomatoes.
Remove from heat and toss with your favorite pasta.

Video

Notes

In Italy, parmesan cheese typically isn't added over pasta with pomodoro sauce. Sometimes a little Parmigiano reggiano is stirred into the sauce but not over the top. That's kind of an American thing. Do I still do it at home? Absolutely.
As mentioned above, this recipe is all about the tomatoes. You can't just grab any ol' can of whatever tomatoes you find on the shelf at the store and expect a good quality pomodoro sauce. Some care needs to be taken in finding the right ones. You have two choices here: Fresh or canned.
Add salt all throughout the process. Add a little at the beginning and then continue to add, a little at a time, as the sauce cooks. Taste as you go and stop once you get it just right. It might take making it a few times but eventually you will get it down.

Nutrition