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Quick and Easy Italian-American Red Sauce in 40 Minutes or Less Recipe

Prep Time
0 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
40 min
Cook Temp
0
Servings
8
Calories
0
Quick and Easy Italian-American Red Sauce in 40 Minutes or Less Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Generous pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon (2 g) dried oregano
  • 3 tablespoons (50 g) tomato paste
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 large sprig basil
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons (1 ounce, or 28 g) unsalted butter (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, combine oil and garlic, and heat over moderately low heat until garlic begins to very gently sizzle. Add red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until garlic just begins to turn a light golden color, about 3 minutes. Add oregano and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
  2. Sautéing garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano in olive oil for quick Italian-American red sauce.
  3. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
  4. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until paste has softened and blended with oil, about 3 minutes.
  6. Sautéed tomato paste in pot with garlic, aromatics, and olive oil for quick Italian-American red sauce.
  7. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
  8. Stir in canned tomatoes and their juices, increase heat to medium-high, bring to a gentle simmer, then lower heat to maintain. Using an immersion blender, blend tomatoes until sauce is smooth. (Alternatively, use potato masher to crush tomatoes or crush tomatoes by hand before adding to pot.)
  10. Using an immersion blender to puree canned tomatoes for quick Italian-American red sauce.
  11. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
  12. Add basil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced slightly and tastes rich, about 30 minutes. Season with salt.
  14. Basil added to a pot of quick Italian-American red sauce.
  15. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
  16. Discard basil. Stir in butter, if using, until melted. Use sauce right away, or allow to cool to room temperature, transfer to sealed containers and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months.