We’ll need it to serve with our pasta recipes and the hearty vegan meatballs I have waiting to be posted since last week. But first I wanted to share this recipe on its own as we’ll be using it a lot through the blog. So first things first: let’s make the perfect tomato sauce like an Italian grandmother!
You’ll need:
Why we love love it? It’s:
Vegan Tomato Sauce - Authentic Italian Recipe
An Italian classic from scratch, this authentic 1 pot vegan tomato sauce also known as Marinara, is simple, quick and easy to make and a major staple of a plant-based diet.
Ingredients
- 2 X 28 oz canned whole Italian San Marzano Tomatoes
- 1/2 sweet yellow onion - minced
- 6 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 leaves bay
- 4 sprigs fresh basil
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil - or a splash of water
- 1 pinch sea salt - to taste
Instructions
Add the olive oil to a heavy bottom pot together with the onion and a pinch of sea salt. Sautée until translucent but without turning brown so keep an eye on it and stir often.
Add the minced garlic and give it a quick stir. Allow it to infuse the oil for about 20 seconds or so taking care not to burn it.
Using your hands roughly crush the tomatoes as you add them to the pot with the onion and garlic. Add the bay leaves and fresh basil, stir and bring to a gentle simmer.
Partially cover with a lid and cook for about 30 minutes until thickened to your liking. Keep an eye in it during cooking to make sure the sugars from the tomatoes won’t stick to the bottom and burn. Stir well a few times.
Remove the sauce from flame, discard the bay leaves and season to taste with sea salt.
At this point you can serve it with your favorite whole-wheat pasta, in a lasagna, as a dipping sauce or store in jars for later use. It also freezes well.
Recipe Notes
If you like things on the spicier side remember to add a good pinch of red pepper flakes in the beginning of cooking. However that will make your sauce “ angry or Arrabbiata “
Go Vegan:
Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Vegan Chickpea Tuna salad
Garlic Rosemary Roasted Carrots
Best sauce I’ve ever made. I easily found San Marzano Tomatoes so this will be a regular in our home too. Thank you for the recipe.
This sauce was amazing and so easy! The tomatoes were more than I expected, but totally worth it. I’m never buying canned sauce again.
Thank you Holly, so happy you enjoyed it. Just FYI I found those San Marzano tomatoes last time i went to Costco for less than $10 for the 3 pack. Stock up when you find them 🙂