Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce

Name: Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 0.5 onion (diced); 2 garlic cloves (crushed); 2 tbsp fresh basil (chopped); 1 tsp dried oregano; 250 g passata; 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar; 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper

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When you want something quick and simple for dinner, this Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce stirred through some spaghetti is about as simple (and delicious) as it gets. No need for any extra ingredients, although a little parmesan and black pepper on top goes a long way. A herby passata pasta sauce with a splash of balsamic vinegar that freezes well too.

A plate of tagliatelle in an easy tomato pasta sauce.

I think that many of us are guilty of over complicating Italian food. In Italy, their food tends to be much more simple, and I think it is tastier because of it. We have kept this pasta sauce really simple with just a good quality passata, some fresh and dried herbs, garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

There are plenty of other ingredients you could add to it, like vegetables, or meat, but if you want something quick and simple then this is a great base.

If you are looking for some other pasta recipes to try, then why not try our Leftover Chicken Pasta, Vegetable Pasta Bake, Sausage Pasta Bake or Smoked Salmon Pasta.

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Ingredients needed
How to make tomato pasta sauce - Step by step
Why should you try it?
Health benefits
What is passata?
Top tip
Storage
FAQs
Extra tips
More sauce recipes
Recipe
Feedback

Ingredients needed

Passata - A good quality passata is definitely required for this recipe. Cheaper ones can be a bit watery and tasteless. As this is a tomato sauce, you really want to taste the tomatoes.
Onion and garlic - The base of the sauce. Use shallots if you would like a little sweeter taste.
Basil and oregano - For that authentic Italian flavour.
Balsamic Vinegar - Gives a lovely sweetness to the sauce and brings all the flavours together.

A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

How to make tomato pasta sauce - Step by step

One: Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion and garlic. Gently cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.

A saucepan with chopped onions and minced garlic.

Two: Add the passata, herbs and balsamic vinegar and season.

A saucepan containing chopped onions, minced garlic, passata and herbs.

Three: Stir and simmer for 10 minutes.

A saucepan with a cooked tomato sauce in it.

Four: Stir through cooked spaghetti and add Parmesan.

a saucepan containing cooked tagliatelle and tomato pasta sauce.

Watch our web story for a quick how-to of making this Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce.

Why should you try it?

Super simple sauce with very few ingredient - You can make this passata pasta sauce with ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
Low in calories - There are just 70 calories a portion
Healthier than a jar of pasta sauce - Jarred sauce has so many added ingredients. This is a simple sauce, without loads of added sugar and salt.
Easy to adapt - We have given options for other ingredients to add.
Freezable - Make extra and freeze for a quick and easy dinner.

Health benefits

This is an easy recipe, but of course it would be easier to just open a jar of store bought sauce. But, next time you are in the supermarket, take a look at the ingredients of some of those pasta sauces. Some (not all - there are some great options out there now) contain so much salt, sugar and unnecessary ingredients.

Making your own pasta sauce means you can control exactly what goes in to it and you can use just a pinch of salt to season it. The splash of balsamic gives it a little sweetness too.

Parmesan shavings on top of pasta in a tomato sauce.

What is passata?

Passata (or tomato puree as it is called in the US), is strained tomatoes (liquid tomato puree). It will come in a carton or tall glass jar and it is a store cupboard essential in our opinion, as it is the base of so many sauces that we make.

Passata is an uncooked tomato purée that has been strained of seeds and skins. If you can't find any passata, then an alternative would be to blend up a tin of tomatoes and then pass it through a sieve.

Top tip

If you want to add something else to this tomato pasta sauce, then you could stir some spinach in just before serving. Also, some red chilli flakes is an easy way to add a kick of heat to it. If you wanted to hide some vegetables in to it, then you could blend some cooked carrots in to the sauce.

Storage

Store: You can store leftovers in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

Freeze: This freezes really well, but make sure it has fully cooled first. Put in freezer bags and lay them flat in the freezer and they will keep for up to 3 months.

Defrost: You can defrost the bags of tomato pasta sauce in the fridge overnight.

Reheat: Add the sauce to a saucepan and heat on low until piping hot.

A plate of pasta in a tomato sauce next to a bowl of salad and a block of parmesan.

FAQs

Is tomato pasta sauce vegan?

Yes, this pasta sauce is vegan.

Is tomato pasta sauce gluten free?

As long as you make sure there is no cross contamination, then this can be gluten free.

Can I make double?

Yes, you can double the batch and it won't change the cooking time. Just make sure that you have a saucepan big enough for everything.

Can I make it in advance?

Yes, you can and then you can keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

How to make a creamy tomato pasta sauce?

If you wanted a creamy version of this, then you could stir in a heaped tablespoon of cream cheese before serving.

Extra tips

• You can use this simply stirred through pasta, as a spaghetti bolognese sauce or as a pizza base sauce.
• It freezes really well, so feel free to triple the recipe and batch cook it.
• This is a simple sauce, but you can use it as a base and add vegetables or meat to it. Cooking times will vary though.
• This is a vegan sauce, but some Parmesan or vegan alternative, is really nice sprinkled on top after cooking.
• If you like a smoother sauce, then you can blend it until smooth.

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