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Recipe: Special Tomato Sauce

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This is a wonderfully versatile and tasty tomato sauce but without all the chemicals and additives of the store bought variety.

Kids love this use this as a dip to dunk baby meat balls, ‘sausages’, veggie sticks or to smother some less favourite food for your picky eater. It can also be used as a passata base for pasta, casseroles or in a soup.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes
  • 1 large spring onion, 1 shallot or ½ small brown onion
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1-2 teaspoon Italian herb mix (optional)
  • 1-2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock (optional)

Method:

  1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the shallot or onion for 3 minutes until just soft and clear.
  2. Add the garlic and sauté for a further minute.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil, squashing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.
  4. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened.
  5. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.
  6. Use the sauce as is or cool and then blend until completely smooth.

Variations:

  • Substitute 400 gram can of chopped tomatoes instead of the fresh tomatoes.
  • Add chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or basil at the end of the cooking and either before or after the blending.
  • For a raw version, in a food processor or blender, blend together 1 cup chopped ripe, fresh tomatoes, chopped brown or spring onion (preferable lightly cooked for a milder taste), 1 clove garlic crushed, a drizzle of olive oil and herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
  • ‘Value add’ some hidden vegetables – Sauté chopped zucchini, carrot, pumpkin, capsicum/bell pepper, leek or other vegetable along with the garlic, onion and tomato.  Bring to boil and then simmer for 15-30 minutes. Cool well before blending to desired consistency.
  • ‘Value add’ some protein –
    • Brown 450gms (1lb) of minced meat (chicken, beef, lamb, turkey) or crumbled sausage in the pan until well cooked. Remove any excess oil.   Add to the tomato/vegetable mixture and simmer for 10 minutes.  Depending on texture preference, add the meat before or after blending.   OR
    • Add some cooked beans, lentils or chickpeas for some vegetable protein
  • This sauce freezes well. Divide into small serving portions before freezing.

Edited & updated August 2022