Lainey Living

A simple tomato sauce

Lainey Living -

This is a really useful tomato sauce and can be enjoyed simply with pasta and some shavings of Parmasean cheese on top. It can also be used as a base for a ragu or a chilli or to spread on pizzas. We often make a large batch of this and divide it up. One portion for that day's dinner, another to pop in a tupperware box and freeze for another day.

A stick blender is so handy for making sauces and especially soups. You can get one with a few standard attachments for blending, whisking and mashing quite reasonably priced. They are a good alternative to food processors which can be expensive and take up a lot of space, especially if you have a small kitchen.

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • Sea salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 x 400g cans of good quality chopped or plum tomatoes
  • 200ml red wine
  • large bunch of sage or basil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Method

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan over a low gentle heat.
  2. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Add to the saucepan, cover and sweat for a few minutes until the onions are translucent.
  3. Add the tomatoes, wine, sage (or basil) and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Stir well. Bring to the start of a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Place hob on a timer for 60 mins, stirring occasionaly.
  4. Add the maple syrup, two tablespoons of olive oil and two teaspoons of sea salt. Using a stick blender, blend to a smooth consistency. Taste and add more salt, if desired.