Homemade Pasta Sauce
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It’s time to get a little saucy – pasta saucy that is. Today we are making a homemade pasta sauce from heirloom tomatoes, peppers and herbs I grew in my very own garden.
This pasta sauce is a million times better than any store bought variety. You can pour it over your favorite pasta or use it as a pizza marinara. Gardening is one of my favorite hobbies because it saves me tons of money on not only fresh veggies and herbs, but I can also make things like salsa and sauces that can be preserved to use throughout the fall and winter.
Homemade Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 heirloom tomatoes diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 jalapenos chopped
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 2 tablespoons basil
- 2 tablespoons parsley + more for topping
- Parmesan cheese for topping
- your favorite pasta cooked according to the instructions on the box
Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium size pot over medium high heat. When the butter is frothy and beginning to brown, stir in the onion, green peppers and jalapenos. Saute until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, minced garlic, paprika, coriander and cumin. Cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the spices are fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes to the pot. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 20-30 minutes, until the moisture from the tomatoes has reduced by half.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and tomato paste to thicken the sauce further. Then stir in the sugar and fresh herbs.
- Reduce the temperature of the pot to a medium low and simmer for an additional 30 mintues to an hour. The longer the sauce simmers, the more developed the flavor will be.
- OPTIONAL: Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth. You can also use a regular blender – but only blend about half of the sauce in the blender as the sauce will expand as it is blended. If you prefer a chunky sauce, skip this step.
- Pour the sauce over your favorite pasta or ravioli. Top with parmesan cheese and more fresh herbs for garnish. Serve alongside garlic bread or a garden fresh salad. Enjoy!
