Pomodoro Sauce – A Beautiful Mess

This is my go-to tomato sauce recipe when I’m making it at home and not just buying a jar of store-bought. Pomodoro sauce simply means tomato sauce in Italian. It’s a simple recipe that tastes super fresh and flavorful. I also like that you can keep this sauce recipe traditional or you can easily customize it to your preferences, like adding some red pepper flakes or other ingredients that fit what your family loves.

Pomodoro sauce is different from marinara sauce in a few ways, but the biggest difference to me is the texture. This sauce is more uniform in texture while marinara tends to be heartier or chunkier.

Related: Vodka Sauce, Alfredo Sauce, Lasagna, Italian Seasoning, Spaghetti Bolognese, Chicken Parmesan, Homemade Pizza.

Ingredients

• Whole, peeled ripe tomatoes – I love to use fresh tomatoes. You may also use canned tomatoes.
• Butter – Use whatever butter you keep on hand.
• Olive Oil – Such as extra-virgin olive oil.
• Onion – Chopped white onion.
• Garlic – Minced garlic cloves.
• Basil – Fresh basil leaves are a must.
• Salt and Pepper – We use kosher salt and fresh ground black peppercorns.

I like this sauce on pretty much any noodle shape and even gnocchi topped with some Parmesan cheese. You can even learn to make fresh pasta at home.

How to Make Pomodoro Sauce

In a large saucepan or medium to large pot, saute the chopped onions and minced garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. The garlic should be super fragrant and the onion will be softened and beginning to brown.

Transfer this mixture to a blender and add the cans of tomatoes (the entire contents including the juices). Add the basil leaves too. Blend until smooth.

Transfer the sauce back into your saucepan and simmer at medium-low heat for another 20 minutes. This will thicken the sauce as well as deepen the flavor. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Serve over cooked noodles and top with Parmesan cheese.

This will make around 5 cups of sauce, so at our house I can usually use this recipe for two meals, saving the second batch in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 5 days.

Tips & Additions

• As with any recipe with so few ingredients, the quality of those ingredients matter. If possible, use San Marzano tomatoes.
• Feel free to add more herbs beyond basil if you like, including parsley, thyme or even cilantro.
• I like to add a little red pepper flakes or cayenne to this sauce for heat.
• If you want to use fresh (not canned) tomatoes, you can! Learn how to prepare and peel them in this tomato and orange sauce recipe.
• If you’re looking to add protein, you can add cooked Italian sausage or ground beef to your sauce.

What to serve Pomodoro Sauce with:

I love to serve pasta with a meat and/or vegetable side dish or salad. Here are a few favorites.