I make this recipe at least once a week. We stretch it out over two meals-1/2 for speghetti & 1/2 for homemade pizza. We love it!
I do not miss the over- priced, usually way too sweet, pre-made jar sauces AT ALL! I love that this is not much more work then opening a jar, but makes the house smell like I have been cooking all day!
I found the recipe here at 101 Cookbooks. She writes an excellent post about this simple sauce. She explains that this is not the sauce you are looking for if you are wanting a meat-filled hearty sauce (although we sometimes add some ground beef and it tastes great!) This is a fresh, light, pure tomato sauce, and IT IS GOOD! I usually buy whole -grain pasta because it is full of fiber, protein and iron, (the brand I used in the pictures below has 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber in a 2 oz size serving) which is very important especially when eating a meat free meal, and it keeps my family full much longer then the white stuff. There is nothing worse than kids begging for food a half hour after dinner!
I use this recipe when we make homemade pizza, it is so fresh and yummy. I grew herbs this summer and the pizza we made with fresh mozzarella and this sauce and shreds of fresh basil….mmm… to die for! I have also made pasta dishes with this sauce and added a splash of heavy cream at the end with some some peas and parmesean cheese, and turned it into a whole different, super creamy, luxurious dish.
The last time I made this sauce, I accidently bought a can of diced tomatoes, so that is why I got out the hand blender, my family does not like chunks! I make a few other changes to the recipe. I go easy on the red pepper flakes, as my girls don’t like spicy. If I have lemons on hand, I’ll use them, but if I don’t I’ll add a splash of lemon juice from the bottle, it is amazing how just a touch of acid really brightens up the flavor. If I do use zest, I find the zest of a whole lemon is a bit too much lemon flavor for me, so I half it. I also add about a Tbls of sugar if my tomatoes are too tangy. Depending on how much water the tomatoes have in them, you may need to simmer the sauce down a bit if it looks a little watery, which turns the 5 minute sauce into a 10 minute sauce- no big deal.
I make sure I keep an eye out for canned, crushed tomatoes on sale and stock up when they are. As she says in the recipe below, the brand of tomatoes is VERY important. There is a huge difference in taste, so go for the good brands. I think the same goes for the olive oil, buy the best you can afford, the more expensive italian brands are so worth the extra money because they are sweet and have no after taste.
Give this sauce a try! It may become your go- to, always- have- the- ingredients- on- hand, simple meal as it is ours!
Five Minute Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3 medium cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can crushed red tomatoes
zest of one lemon
Makes about a quart of tomato sauce.
Anonymous
June 12, 2012 at 10:54 amYou might try adding cooked ground turkey instead of ground beef. Our family uses ground turkey now instead of beef for meat sauces, tacos, chili. Healthier and consistent in texture and not so chewy.
Sue
August 23, 2010 at 10:23 pmWow this is good! I love not having to buy the jarred stuff.
Amy Bowman
June 28, 2010 at 2:26 amSarah-I usually just let it simmer to thicken, but adding some paste I”m sure wouldn’t hurt anything.
Thanks for reading, Cindy and Damsel in Dis Dress:)
The Damsel In Dis Dress
June 27, 2010 at 9:07 pmI just found your blog. Wow, I LOVE it. Your quest of recapturing simplicity rings true for me. In fact, our blogs share that philosophy. I’m adding you to my reader right now…I’ll be back.
For the Love of Naps - Sarah
June 27, 2010 at 12:30 pmThis looks great! I have tons of canned tomato…it is already blended…do you think I would need to add some tomato paste to thicken it?
Thanks for the idea! I need to use these canned tomatoes up!
Cindy
June 27, 2010 at 10:38 amHi there,
Just popping in!:)
My hubby makes fresh sauce all the time, I will have to pass this one along.
Thanks!
Enjoy the day