Pomodoro Sauce

5 from 3 votes

This quick and easy 5-ingredient pasta pomodoro sauce is the perfect combination of sweet, ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs, garlic, onions, and rich extra virgin olive oil!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword pasta pomodoro, pomodoro pasta, pomodoro sauce

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 272.1kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs. fresh tomatoes (I use about 6-8 plum tomatoes)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (such as a combination of basil, oregano, and parsley)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
For serving: cooked pasta; grated Parmesan cheese; additional fresh herbs

Instructions

Quarter the tomatoes and use your fingers to quickly scoop out most of the seeds. It helps to run the tomato under cold water to get any extra seeds out, and don’t worry – you don’t have to be meticulous about it. This should only take a few minutes!
Puree tomatoes in a food processor until mostly smooth, leaving some good chunks for texture in your sauce. Transfer to a colander and set aside to strain excess liquid (you do not need to squeeze the tomatoes totally dry).
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Be sure to stir the garlic and onion constantly so that the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the strained tomatoes and the fresh herbs; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes, you may need to add a dash of sugar too, to taste. Serve over pasta and garnish with cheese and additional fresh herbs.

Notes

This recipe yields a fairly small batch of sauce (about 2 cups total) -- enough for one large jar or about 3-4 servings. If you're like me and you'd rather have more to keep on hand, or if you just have a larger family to feed, double the ingredients and proceed with the same cooking instructions.
When available, use high-quality Italian extra virgin olive oil and flavorful, ripe summer tomatoes, since the olive oil and tomatoes form the base of the sauce.
Once the sauce is finished, adjust seasonings and spices to suit your tastes. Add salt, pepper, or additional herbs. If you like a spicy pomodoro, add crushed red pepper flakes.
Depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes, you may need to season the sauce with a little bit of sugar. The sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes, giving the sauce a greater depth of flavor.
Since you're simmering for a shorter amount of time, leave the lid off of the pot to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to concentrate.

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