Tomato (and Pizza) Sauce

Choose Your Tomatoes

The key to great tomato sauce is great tomatoes. Summer tomatoes at their peak are the best and full of flavor. In winter, canned tomatoes are a fine substitute. I also freeze summer tomatoes whole (skin and all) instead of canning them so I can make fresh-tasting sauce year-round. A fabulous kitchen tip is that the skins just falls off when they thaw, so there's no need to blanch. More on freezing tomatoes here.

Prep Your Tomatoes 

Option A – Blanch & Peel (Classic method):
Score a small "X" at the base of each tomato. Drop into boiling water for 15 seconds to 1 minute until the skin loosens. Remove the tomatoes from the water. Once they are cool enough to handle, slide off their skins.

Option B – Rough Chop (Rustic method):
If you're short on time or prefer more texture, core and chop the tomatoes with the skin intact.

Option C – Use Canned Tomatoes:
Use whole peeled tomatoes — San Marzano Romas are excellent. Try to find canned ones that don’t include citric acid, which actually means manufactured citric acid, which contains toxins. In another post coming soon I’ll explain why we don’t want that. Without it, tomatoes taste a bit better and are easier to digest.

"Why not use crushed?" you may be wondering. I just think whole tomatoes are better — they tend to taste fresher, and I prefer having more control over the texture.

Make the Base

Warm olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.

Then add fresh garlic; use it finely minced, sliced, or crushed — your choice.

Let the garlic sizzle in the olive oil for a minute to open the flavor.

Make Your Sauce

Add your tomatoes to the pan. Season with sea salt. From here, you can:

Option A — Quick Cook in a Frying Pan (10–15 min):
Simmer uncovered in a frying pan for 10–15 minutes or until the sauce is thickened to your liking. Add some herbs if you like, and you'll have a fabulous sauce.

Option B — Slow Cook in a Frying Pan (20–25 min):

Same as Option A, but let the sauce simmer longer to caramelize the tomatoes for a richer flavor. Optional: add a splash of wine for an extra layer of flavor. The sugar in the wine also cuts the acidity of the tomatoes. I almost always add a splash of dry white wine.

Option C – Long Simmer in a Pot (1 hour or more):

When you're making a larger batch, let your sauce simmer in a pot for an hour or more, uncovered. I usually cook it for 1 to 1½ hours — sometimes even longer. Often, I refrigerate it overnight and simmer it again the next day for even more depth and richness.

Option D – No Cook (Summer Sauce):
Skip the stove entirely. Combine chopped summer-ripe tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and torn up basil in a bowl. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. The olive oil "cooks" the tomatoes and softens them. Toss with hot cooked pasta.

Finish Your Sauce

• Rustic: Leave the sauce chunky, as is.
• Silky: Put through a food mill or use an immersion blender.
• Slightly mashed: Use a wooden spoon or potato masher in the pan.

I almost always use an immersion blender when I make sauce in a pot — just a few quick pulses to smooth it out while keeping some texture. When I make sauce in a frying pan, I use a potato masher instead.

More Options

• Sauté minced onion until translucent, and add along with the tomatoes.
• Add a pinch of sugar if the sauce is too acidic.
• Boost the flavor by adding a few anchovies — they melt into the sauce and add a subtle yet rich flavor. Plus lots of nutrients!

Freeze any extra sauce to enjoy later — or make pizza sauce!

Make It into Pizza Sauce

Turn your tomato sauce into pizza sauce by cooking it down until it's thick — that's it! Maybe add a spoonful of tomato paste for extra richness, or dried oregano or red pepper flakes for classic pizzeria flavor.

You can find more serving ideas after the recipe.