There are various ways to make a homemade tomato sauce. You can make a traditional tomato 'passata' sauce or a tomato sauce packed with 'hidden veg'. You can use fresh tomatoes or you can use tinned tomatoes, anything goes... just use what you already have!
The outcome of your sauce will largely depend on what's in your fridge or your cupboard! You can make a batch to use just for tonight's evening meal with leftovers for lunch tomorrow.... or you can make a large batch and pot up individually to freeze for meals another day. Our recipe makes approx. 4 servings, but just double up the recipe to make a large batch and pour into freezer-proof containers to store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If it's the end of the season and you have surplus fresh tomatoes, or you've managed to pick up a load of tomatoes at a rock bottom price, then a traditional homemade 'passata sauce' might be just the ticket! You can make as much as you can and store it in the freezer.
If you're making a batch of tomato sauce to use in pasta dishes and you have vegetables in the fridge that need using up, make up a large batch of our tomato sauce, chop up your extra veggies and throw them in the saucepan with your onions and garlic. This is a great way to create a 'hidden veg' sauce and it's guaranteed to be absolutely delicious!
Here'e our take on how to make a delicious homemade tomato sauce...
Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce
Using a few basic ingredients, you can whip up a homemade tomato (passata) sauce in no time! Although the traditional Italian method of making passata sauce uses fresh tomatoes, you can also make a tomato sauce with tinned tomatoes. Our easy recipe creates a basic tomato sauce with the option to add extra ingredients to use up what you already have or to help bulk out your tomato sauce mixture.
This simple tomato sauce recipe is great for enchiladas, tortilla wraps, pizza bases, pasta sauce, literally any recipe that calls for a tomato sauce. And it's absolutely delicious!
This is a great recipe for incorporating 'hidden veg' especially for fussy children. It's so delicious, the kids won't even know they're wolfing down peppers and onions!
There are no hard fast rules to this sauce, simply use what you already have, whatever needs using up, or whatever you've managed to pick up cheap from the shop or free from your neighbours!
Homemade Tomato Sauce Recipe...
Makes: approx. 4 batches
Cost to make: approx. £1.60
Cost per batch: approx. 40p
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients -
1kg fresh tomatoes, halved or quartered
OR 2 tins tomatoes (chopped, plum... whatever you have) (approx. £1.20)
1 x onion, chopped (approx. 25p)
1 tsp chopped garlic (approx. 10p)
50ml white wine (optional)
sunflower or vegetable oil for cooking
Optional extras -
Add extra chopped vegetables such as peppers, carrots, courgettes.
Method
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until well softened, stirring regularly.
Note: You can miss this step if not using wine. If using the wine, add to the mixture and simmer for approx. 10 minutes or until the white wine has reduced. (the wine adds to the passata flavour but is not an essential).
Add any extra chopped vegetables. Bell peppers work really well.
Add the chopped tomatoes and stir well. If using fresh tomatoes you might want to add 1tsp of caster sugar. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for approx. 10 minutes.
Allow to cool, then liquidise in a blender, or push through a sieve.
Pour into freezer-proof containers and pop in the freezer, or pour into jars and keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Substitutions
White wine – You can leave this out altogether, especially if cooking for children. The wine adds a depth of flavour to the sauce, but you can easily leave out.
Variations
Garlic – You can use whatever garlic you have, fresh, frozen or garlic paste. If you don;t like garlic, simply leave it out.
Herbs – If you're using the tomato sauce for pasta dishes, you might like to add some hers. Basil works particularly well, or some thyme or oregano (think Italian herbs!).
Spicier - if you like a bit of spice, simply add a few dried chilli flakes or frozen chopped chilli to the mixture.
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