Perfect Pasta Sauce: Tomato-Basil

By: Jodie Shield, MED, RDN

Now that you know how to cook the perfect pasta (see my previous blog), here’s my secret recipe for making pasta sauce that’s fresh, quick and easy, and bursting with flavor.  And of course, healthy!  I have adapted a tomato-basil sauce recipe from Williams-Sonoma The Weeknight Cook (Oxmoor House, 2009).  Although the original recipe is fine by itself, I have made the following tweaks to make it even more fabulous.

Always use San Marzano canned tomatoes.  They are a variety of plum tomatoes which many chefs consider to be the best sauce tomatoes in the world.  Also, lots of fresh basil is a must; I recommend at least a cup.  And if you want your sauce to be the right consistency – not too thick or too thin – invest in a hand-held immersion blender.  This nifty gadget is something I just recently discovered.  Its powerful motor blends large quantities of food in seconds.  You simply place the whisk portion into the sauce and push a button at the top to control the speed.  Previously, I pureed my sauce in a food processor, but I got burned a few times transferring hot sauce from the pot to the processor. Plus, if I wasn’t careful, I processed too long and my sauce looked well, runny.  I LOVE my immersion blender (All-Clad)  because it’s so light and easy to clean plus, it has cut my prep time for soups and sauces in half.  Now that I make my Tomato-Basil Pasta Sauce with an immersion blender may family definitely agrees: it makes the sauce perfect!

Here’s my Tomato-Basil Pasta Sauce recipe.  It tastes great with any type of pasta -spaghetti, linguine, lasagna.  Go ahead and toss in fresh vegetables or lean ground beef or poultry.  I highly recommend you make a double batch and store half in the freezer in an airtight container – it will last about 3 months.  That way when your family wants a fast, healthy meal, a homemade pasta supper will be ready in minutes.  Bon appetit!

Tomato-Basil Perfect Pasta Sauce

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil – high quality
• 8 – 10 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup unsalted tomato paste
• 4 can (28-ounces each) San Marzano crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 cup fresh basil
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.  Place the immersion blender into the sauce and blend until the sauce is slightly thick, about 1 minute.

Nutrition Information per 1/4 cup: 60 calories, 9 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein, 2 grams fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams fiber, 295 milligrams sodium

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