This homemade tomato sauce is so incredibly tasty, and canned tomatoes just don’t do it justice. I tried and tested, but the sauce isn’t the same. So if you can put in a little nonna-style hustle to make it right, you’ll be in spaghetti heaven! The sauce is easy to customize by making it spicy with red pepper flakes or by adding more basil or garlic to your liking. How about bringing a little vegan sausage to the party too? And for some extra richness, add cashew cream for a delectable rosé sauce.
Ingredients
The Red Sauce
- 5 pounds Roma tomatoes (18 to 20 tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ cups finely chopped onion (about 2 onions)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
The Rose Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
- 1 cup water
- 6 cups The Red Sauce
How to Make It
- To make the red sauce, cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and excess watery flesh. This is easiest to do with your fingers by pressing an index finger and middle finger inside each tomato half and running them down the length of the tomato. The seeds should slide out. You don’t have to get every single one, just the majority. Cut the tomatoes into a large dice.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onions. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic, tomato paste, bay leaf, oregano, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes. Tear the basil leaves by hand and add to the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the bay leaf and set aside. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until mostly smooth, getting rid of the large tomato chunks. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can pour the sauce into a regular blender and pulse a few times to get it mostly smooth, then add it back to the pot. Return the bay leaf to the pot and continue to simmer the sauce for 25 to 30 minutes uncovered.
- If making the rosé sauce, drain and rinse the cashews. Add to a high-powered blender with the water and blend until very smooth. Stir the cashew cream into the pot of red sauce during the last 10 minutes of simmering. Heat through and serve.
- Allow the sauce to cool completely before storing in jars. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
