I got bored of eating jarred pasta sauces, so I started making my own—here’s how

Man stirring pan of tomato sauce on stove with a wooden spoon.

I love a convenient weeknight meal, but have you ever eaten the same thing day after day and found yourself questioning if you could do better?

I reached this point last week, while mindlessly pouring a stir-through sauce over cooked pasta. It’s easy and it tastes fine—it’s just not exciting. I have to pour half a cup of Parmesan cheese over it to enjoy it.

So, I started experimenting. I know what makes a good bolognese sauce, and how to make a tasty ragu, so what if I used some of the basic elements of those to try and emulate my go-to shop-bought tomato and basil sauce.

The sauce is thick, tangy and garlicky. The plum tomatoes give it depth of flavor and the basil adds an aromatic dimension that I just love.

Here’s what I did. Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe yourself and if you would make any changes.

Tomato and basil sauce recipe

Ingredients

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 2tsp dried basil
• 1tsp dried oregano
• Four cloves of garlic, chopped
• One small red onion or two shallots, diced
• 2 cans of peeled plum tomatoes
• A handful of fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: To add an extra dimension to the flavor, deglaze your pan with a splash of red wine or a dash of balsamic vinegar before adding your tomatoes.

Method

1. Pour the olive oil into a wide sauté pan and place on a medium-high heat until it shimmers.
2. Add the chopped garlic and onion, and cook until they start to brown.
3. Add the dried basil and oregano and cook for a minute.
4. Add the tomatoes and mix. They are likely to spit when they hit the oil, so you might want to hold a dinner plate behind the cans as you pour to minimise mess.
5. Add the fresh basil leaves and season to taste, then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. If I have a spare Parmesan rind hanging around my fridge, I like to add it at this point to add flavor, then fish it out before serving.
7. While the sauce is simmering, cook your pasta according to the packet instructions.
8. Once the sauce is cooked (the onions and tomatoes should be soft), remove from the heat and let cool.
9. Transfer into a blender, or use an immersion blender, and blitz until smooth. This step isn’t entirely necessary, but if you have someone in your family who doesn’t like texture in pasta sauces, it can make all the difference for them.
10. Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese or jar it up and store it in the fridge for later.

Shop blenders

If your kitchen needs a food blender, consider one of these models recommended by our colleagues at Tom’s Guide.

Vitamix Ascent Series X2

Ninja Detect Power Pro

Nutribullet Pro 900