Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce
Submitted by brenna
A smooth, from-scratch tomato sauce simmered with garlic, green pepper, thyme, and basil, pureed silky and ladled over spaghetti. Freezes beautifully for busy weeknights ahead.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minEvery home cook needs a solid tomato sauce in their back pocket, and this one delivers. Canned tomatoes simmer with onion, garlic, green pepper, a bay leaf, and dried thyme until everything softens and the flavors concentrate.
Then the whole pot gets blitzed in a food processor until smooth and velvety. A swirl of margarine at the end adds just enough richness, and fresh basil stirs in right before serving to keep its bright, peppery kick.
Make a double batch and freeze it in portions. Future you will be grateful when a jar of this is waiting in the freezer on a night when cooking from scratch feels like too much.
Kitchen Tips
- Puree while hot: Blending the sauce warm gives you a smoother result. Just be careful with hot liquids in the food processor and vent the lid slightly.
- Remove the bay leaf first: Fish it out before blending. Nobody wants bits of bay leaf in their smooth sauce.
- Swap the margarine for butter: If dairy isn’t a concern, butter gives a richer, rounder finish. The margarine keeps this dairy-free for those who need it.
- Freezer portions: Store in 2-cup containers for easy single-meal servings. The sauce keeps for up to three months frozen.
Ingredients
Directions
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion, garlic, green Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme and a generous grinding of pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes.
- Spoon mixture into the container of a food processor. Blend to a fine puree. Add the basil. Reheat. Swirl in the margarine. Serve over spaghetti. This sauce freezes well.
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