About the Recipe
Are you looking for a new sauce that's both delicious and budget-friendly? Look no further than this tomato sauce recipe! Great for pasta, pizza, shakshuka, and more. This versatile sauce is a real crowd-pleaser. And with a cost of about €1 per meal, it's an economical option that won't leave you feeling short-changed on flavor!
Gather your ingredients, chop them up small, and get ready to whip up a batch of this nutritious and delicious sauce that will keep your taste buds and wallet happy.
Ingredients
6-8 Tomatoes
3 Peppers / Capsicums
2 -3 cloves of garlic
Large handful of basil (dried basil can be used too)
Teaspoon salt
Teaspoon sugar/ sugar substitute
Optional Extras to add to the flavour
One chilli
One slice of salami
Preparation
Step 1
Gather all the ingredients. If you make this regularly there will be times when you don't have everything.
Not to worry... if I don't have fresh garlic, basil or chilli I substitute in the dried herb version instead.
When I plan to use the sauce as a pizza topping, I cut the veg into smaller pieces.
Step 2
Put on a wok or large frying pan at medium. Add a few sprays of Fry Light or a little olive oil.
Once the pan is hot, add the onions, peppers and garlic. Also add the chillis and garlic.
Let it sizzle, stirring it with a wooden spoon every few minutes.
Step 3
Once the onions and peppers have reduced a little (usually after 5-10 minutes), add in the rest of the veg. Keep the heat at medium.
Step 4
Once the mixture is looking similar to the below, it's time to add the tinned tomatoes. Give it a good stir and keep the heat at medium. After another 30 minutes or so add the salt & sugar to the mixture. Give it another good stir.
Step 5
Let the sauce continue to reduce. I usually turn it down to 1 or 2 and let it simmer slowly. If you find your sauce is too runny for your liking you can either:
blast up the heat for 10-15 mins. Make sure there is no lid on the pan if you do this so the moisture can evaporate.
add a tablespoon of flour that's been mixed with a quarter cup of water.
Last Step
Taste your sauce. If it's nearly ready and you're not happy with it, it's not too late to add more sugar, salt, chilli or salami to make it perfect for you.
Once the sauce has cooled, I put it into containers and freeze them.
The sauce makes a great base for multiple dishes including:
Pasta sauce
Salsa
Pizza base
Enchillida filling
Spaghetti bolognse
Meatballs & tomato sauce
Shakshuka
Chicken Parmiagiana sauce
The above recipe usally costs between €8 - €10 and lasts for 8-10 dinners.