Tomato Basil Sauce

Basil Belle

Be prepared to have your tastebuds blown! This is a staple sauce in our home as it’s quick, simple, and it’s cheap = win. For under $4, you can make this sauce to go on pasta, pizza, chicken parmesan, or eat it by the spoonful. Trust me, you’ll want to.

I’ll share some of my favorite recipes with you soon but you can check out my go-to Tomato Basil Chicken recipe now! A trend you may notice is that we firmly believe the more garlic and olive oil, the better. That being said, feel free to play with the measurements to discover how you like it.

Ingredients:

28oz can crushed tomatoes (you can also used diced & blend until smooth).
6oz tomato paste
2 Tbs minced garlic
3-4 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped  (Don’t have fresh basil? Use 2-3 tsp of dried basil.)

Make your sauce extra fresh by using whole tomatoes. I’d recommend 4-5 cups of diced tomatoes, blended until smooth.  You can also add other things such as onions and ground beef or turkey to make the sauce a little heavier.

Easily double this recipe and freeze any leftovers in an airtight container. When making a large batch, I use a Calphalon 8-quart Stockpot which holds a ton and makes clean-up a breeze.

Roll up your sleeves:

1. In a large stock pot, heat olive oil on medium-high heat and add in garlic.
2. Let sauté for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently until garlic is lightly browned. Do not let it burn.
3. Add in tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. The longer the sauce simmers, the better the flavor.
5. Serve and enjoy.