This is an easy, low-sodium recipe for tomato sauce for casseroles, pasta, etc. that contains extra vegetables.
Basic Tomato Sauce
Serves: 10.
Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 small celery stalks, finely chopped
- Optional: up to 1 cup of chopped zucchini and/or mushrooms
- 4 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 2 Tbsp dried parsley)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp dried basil, OR 4 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
- 2 28-oz cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, including the juice (or 3 ½ lb fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped)
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- black pepper to taste.
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large wide skillet on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, optional zucchini and/or mushrooms, and parsley. Stir to coat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened and cooked through.
- Remove cover and add the minced garlic. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes, including the juice and shredding them if you are using canned whole tomatoes. Add the tomato paste, basil, sugar, and Italian Seasoning. Bring to a low simmer. Add a dash of black pepper (or more, according to your taste.) Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered until thickened, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ½ cup. 