Expert advice for every cook

Simple Tomato Sauce

Name: Simple Tomato Sauce
Ingredients: 28 ounces, diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes (1 can); 2 medium cloves, garlic, minced; 3 tablespoons, extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons, coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves, (about 8 leaves); 1/2 teaspoon, table salt; 1/4 teaspoon, granulated sugar

Appears in Cook's Illustrated May/June 1997

We test the best method for making a quick, simple pasta sauce using only canned tomatoes, garlic, salt, olive oil, a dash of sugar, and basil.

YIELD Dresses 3/4 pound pasta: serves 3

Why This Recipe Works

Print Save

Saved

Gather Your Ingredients

28 ounces diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes (1 can)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves, (about 8 leaves)

½ teaspoon table salt

¼ teaspoon granulated sugar

Key Equipment

Before You Begin

The pasta and sauce quantities can be doubled, but you will have to simmer the sauce for an extra five or six minutes to thicken it. Although 3/4 of a pound of pasta may seem an odd quantity, a full pound of pasta will dilute the sauce, resulting in a lack of flavor.

Instructions

If using diced tomatoes, go to step 3

If using whole tomatoes, drain and reserve liquid. Dice tomatoes either by hand or in work bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade (three or four pulses at 1/2 second). Tomatoes should be coarse, with 1/4-inch pieces visible. If necessary, add enough reserved liquid to tomatoes to total 2 cups.

Mix garlic with 1 teaspoon water in small bowl. Heat oil and garlic mixture in 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil, salt, and sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

0 Comments

Posting Guidelines

FROM OUR TV SPONSORS

We are thankful to the sponsors who make it possible for us to bring you the America's Test Kitchen TV series on public television. Read more about why we have sponsors.

This is a members' feature.