If you’ve been wanting to make a tomato sauce from scratch and use less jarred sauces, then give this a try.
This recipe is inspired by one of Optimum3’s clients who is from Italy and is his go to sauce for pasta and other dishes. It can be used as a pasta sauce or base sauce for other dishes.
Lets get cooking.
Ingredients:
1 Onion 2 tins of chopped or plum tomatoes
3 to 4 cloves of fresh garlic Vegetable stock cube
Olive oil Salt & Pepper
1 teaspoon of sugar Half a teaspoon of soda bicarbonate
How to Make
- Finely chop your onion and crush the garlic cloves (this can be done with a garlic crush or the flat of a knife), in olive oil.
- Fry the onion and garlic until the onions start to soften and start browning
- Add the tins of tomatoes. If using plum tomatoes break them down with your cooking spoon/spatula.
- Add the stock cube and stir it in
- Add the salt & pepper to taste/personal preference
- Then add the half a teaspoon of soda bicarbonate and teaspoon of sugar
- Stir together and leave the tomato sauce to simmer on a low heat for a couple of hours
- Check and stir every so often, ensuring to add a little water periodically to prevent it from drying out/burning. Adjusting the consistency to match your personal preference
- Its ready to add to your pasta or as a base for other dishes such as bolognese etc.
As an added twist you can add fresh chillies or chilli flakes for a bit of heat, or even some fresh herbs.

We hope you enjoy this recipe.
Eat Well
James & the Optimum3 Team