This simple sauce can be used for a number of dishes – as a pizza topping, a pasta sauce, or as a base for casseroles and stews. Combine it with extra vegetables, like diced onion, grated zucchini, chopped capsicum or mushrooms, as well as fresh herbs to make it your own.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 bunch of basil
- 3 x 400g tins of diced tomatoes (no added salt)
Equipment
- measuring scales and spoons
- chopping board
- cook’s knife
- large frying pan
- wooden spoon
What to do
- Heat the oil in the frying pan and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes and basil.
- Simmer the sauce for at least 10 minutes, and up to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. The cooking time depends on the time you have available and the type of flavour you want the sauce to have. Less cooking results in a fresher flavour, while longer cooking results in a deeper, more intense flavour.
- Season to taste (optional).
TIP
Add a tin of reduced-salt beans, some chilli and coriander to make a taco or burrito filling. In Summer or Autumn, replace the tinned tomatoes with a kilogram of chopped ripe tomatoes.