Pomodoro Sauce

When it comes to Italian cuisine, there is nothing more quintessential than a simmering pot of Pomodoro Sauce. Pomodoro is a simple Italian red sauce that is easy to make and features a vibrant tomato puree made from whole tomatoes, simmered to sweet perfection with yellow onion, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of sugar.

While some may claim that the most important ingredient in pomodoro is the tomatoes, I would argue that fresh basil is the true star of the show. There is just something about fresh basil that really elevates this dish.

What you’re going to love about this recipe is that it is fairly easy to put together. It requires only 8 ingredients and 30 minutes of simmer time! All of that makes this dish perfect for a quick mid-week meal.

What Tomatoes to Use for Sauce

You’ll find that for most of our red sauce recipes (like pomodoro, marinara, and vodka sauce), we rarely start from vine tomatoes and opt instead for canned tomatoes. While fresh tomatoes will definitely bring your sauce to the next level, it just isn’t practical time-wise.

You have a lot of options when it comes to canned tomatoes and the selection can be a little overwhelming. We believe that the BEST canned tomatoes to use in any recipe are whole peeled tomatoes.

• Versatile – You can turn whole tomatoes into anything you need for any recipe. These tomatoes work in stews, sauces, purees, and soups. Just break them down with a wooden spoon while they cook, crush them with your fists before using them, or blend in a food processor to get the desired tomato size and consistency.

• They (largely) skip additives – Most cans of diced tomatoes have the additive calcium chloride, which is a preservative that keeps the pieces together. However, imported Italian brands, like Cento, don’t include this preservative. So if you want to skip the additives, look for imported Italian brands.

• You Can Season the Tomatoes to Your Tastes – Many diced, crushed, pureed, and sauced tomatoes include added ingredients, like sugar, herbs, and salt, which prevent you from truly making them into exactly what you want. Plus, they tend to over-salt the tomatoes.

Disclaimer: I definitely go for fire-roasted tomatoes occasionally because they have a unique flavor and seasoning combination. Or I’ll grab a can of crushed tomatoes when I’m pressed for time. The results will likely be pretty close, with just a slight variation but sometimes you just don’t have time to wait for whole tomatoes to cook down.

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How to Make Pomodoro Sauce

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan and cook the garlic and onion until the onions are translucent.

While the onions and garlic are cooking, puree your whole tomatoes in a food processor or blender, if you prefer a smoother pomodoro. If you prefer your sauce with some chunks, you can just use the whole tomatoes.

Transfer the tomato puree to the sauce pan and add sugar, oregano, and salt and pepper. Slowly simmer the sauce over medium-low heat for a minimum of 30 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. You can simmer the sauce for as long as you want, but we recommend at least 30 minutes to give the flavors time to grow richer.

If you kept your tomatoes whole, the slow simmer will help break down the tomatoes into smaller chunks. You can also use a wooden spoon to help cut the tomatoes into smaller pieces.

Once the sauce is done simmering, transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and blend on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute to create a completely smooth sauce. You can also use an immersion blender to blend the sauce in the pot, if desired. Once the sauce is smooth, return it to the pot. If you prefer a chunky sauce, skip this step.

Lastly, prepare the basil. Remember that basil is very delicate and tends to bruise and wilt easily, especially when cut. So it’s best to wait until just before serving to prepare the basil.

The best technique for cutting basil is to “chiffonade” the basil. This simply means that you take the basil leaves, nest one leaf on top of the other so they follow the same curvature with the stems pointing in the same direction, roll them up into a cigar, and thinly slice the cigar into ribbons.

Make sure your knife is SHARP! The number one reason basil bruises or gets crushed is because you are using a dull blade. Once you are done, your basil will resemble thin beautiful ribbons. Here is a helpful step-by-step tutorial.

Remove the pomodoro from heat and stir in the fresh basil. Serve with desired pasta. We highly recommend pairing this sauce with a fresh batch of long pasta of your choice, like spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine. This sauce also pairs wonderfully with Toasted Cauliflower Gnocchi or Sausage Pizza Zucchini Boats.

Let us know what you think about this recipe for Pomodoro Sauce by dropping a comment and/or rating below! We love to hear from you!

Check out our other sauce recipes!

• Chunky Marinara Sauce
• Roasted Red Pepper Romesco Sauce

Here are some other pasta-inspired dishes to try for you next dinner:

• One Pot Mushroom and Chickpea Pasta
• Bruschetta Breaded Chicken
• Peppery Lemon Herb Linguine
• One Pot Cheesy Hamburger Pasta
• Roasted Red Pepper Pasta