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Easy Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

This easy tomato and basil pasta sauce is a basic tomato sauce that I have been cooking for years. It’s made using a few simple ingredients and makes a great tomato pasta sauce to serve with your favourite pasta along with a grating of fresh Parmesan cheese.

A green bowl filled with penne pasta in a tomato, basil pasta sauce with a garnish of parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves, with a block of parmesan, fresh basil leaves and garlic set alongside.

For the best flavour I use fresh basil leaves in this best tomato and basil pasta sauce. However, for ease, I always use good quality canned plum tomatoes which I always have in my stores at home.

For a quick and easy mid week dinner, serve the sauce with your favourite pasta, I’ve opted for penne but any pasta shape will work. Then add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and and extra crack of black pepper.

This is a versatile tomato basil sauce which you can use to add to other dishes, like my layered Mediterranean Vegetable Bake.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • A budget friendly pasta sauce that uses simple ingredients most of your will have in your stores at home.
  • This easy pasta sauce requires very little hands on preparation and can be cooked and ready to serve in just 30 minutes.
  • A great sauce for batch cooking as this easy pasta sauce recipe can be doubled and freezes really well.
  • Healthy homemade tomato pasta sauce does not contain excessive salt, nor any sugar or added preservatives.

Recipe ingredients

Tomato basil pasta sauce recipe ingredients.
  • Oil – for the best flavour I use extra virgin olive oil for sauteeing the onion when making the sauce.
  • Onion – I’ve used both red onions and regular brown onions for the sauce and both work equally well.
  • Garlic – I recommend using fresh garlic but frozen garlic or garlic puree would work too.
  • Tomatoes – I’ve used 2 x 400g (14oz) cans of plum tomatoes as the base of the sauce. You could also use chopped tomatoes, or passatta if you prefer a smoother sauce.
  • Herbs – I use both dried oregano and fresh basil leaves in the tomato sauce.
  • Seasoning – the sauce is seasoned with sea salt and black pepper.

How to make tomato basil pasta sauce

A saucepan filled with sauteed onions and garlic.
  • Pour the olive oil into a medium sized pan and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, until softened, but do not allow the onions to colour.
  • Add the garlic to the onions and continue to cook for a further minute.
A saucepan of tomato and basil sauce ingredients.
  • Now add the remaining ingredients into the pan and season with salt and pepper.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer the sauce for 20-30 minutes to reduce the sauce, removing most of the excess liquid.
A saucepan filled with cooked tomato and basil pasta sauce.
  • Remove from heat and serve with your favourite pasta, or add to any dish requiring a fresh tomato sauce.

Recipe variations

  • Make a creamy tomato sauce or tomato mascarpone sauce by adding a splash of cream or a tablespoons or two of mascarpone cheese.
  • Add fresh sliced red chilli or red pepper flakes to make a tomato and chilli pasta sauce.
  • Parsley and thyme would also work in the sauce too.
  • You can add other vegetables to the sauce like diced courgette, aubergine or bell peppers.
  • I like to serve the sauce with a rough texture, but you can blitz to smooth using a stick blender if you prefer.
  • If you like to sweeten the tomatoes, add a teaspoon of caster sugar.
A green bowl filled with penne pasta in a tomato, basil pasta sauce with a garnish of parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves, with a block of parmesan, fresh basil leaves and garlic set alongside.

Serving suggestions

I’ve served this sauce with penne pasta but you can use any shape of pasta with this sauce.

You can also use the sauce to layer into other dishes like a vegetable lasagne or try layering it with roasted vegetables in my Mediterranean Vegetable Bake.

If you cook the sauce a little longer and reduce it right down, this easy tomato sauce also makes a great pizza sauce for spooning over the base of your pizza.

A white plate with a wedge of roasted vegetable bake, garnished with fresh basil, with a dish of vegetable bake and a wooden bowl of sliced sourdough bread set alongside.

Useful hints and tips

  1. Seasoning – tomatoes need salt, so take time to taste and properly season the sauce with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, it will make a difference to the finished sauce.
  2. Batch cook – this recipe is easily doubled up making it perfect for batching cooking. Enjoy some now and freeze the rest for a quick and easy dinner another day.
  3. Gluten free – this sauce contains no gluten, serve with a gluten free pasta and it’s suitable for coeliacs of anyone following a gluten free diet.
  4. Dairy free – containing no dairy this side dish is suitable for dairy free and vegan diners.
  5. Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

FAQs

Is tomato basil sauce the same as marinara?

Yes, tomato basil sauce contains the same basic ingredients as a marinara sauce.

Why is my homemade pasta sauce watery?

It all comes down to the tomatoes, some will contain more liquid than others. The easiest way to thicken the sauce is to cook it a little longer, this will reduce any excess liquid and thicken the sauce without the need for flour based thickeners.

Can tomato and basil pasta sauce be made ahead?

Yes, absolutely. Once cooked and cooled, store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat in a saucepan to piping hot when ready to enjoy.

How to freeze tomato and basil sauce?

Once cooked and cooled, place the sauce into a Ziploc bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. This sauce can be cooked from frozen by placing it into a saucepan over a medium, low heat.

Pin the recipe

Pinnable image with recipe title and green bowl filled with penne pasta in a tomato, basil pasta sauce with a garnish of parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves, with a block of parmesan, fresh basil leaves and garlic set alongside.

Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try some of my other favourite pasta and sauce recipes for feeding your family:

Looking for inspiration for feeding the family mid week, then take a look at my Ultimate Guide to Family Dinners post which is full of useful hints, tips and recipes.

A green bowl filled with penne pasta in a tomato, basil pasta sauce with a garnish of parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves, with a block of parmesan, fresh basil leaves and garlic set alongside.

Easy Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

This easy tomato and basil pasta sauce is a basic tomato sauce, made using a few simple ingredients. Serve this great tomato pasta sauce with your favourite pasta along with a grating of fresh Parmesan.
5 from 6 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 95kcal

Equipment

  • chopping board
  • Sharp knife
  • medium saucepan
  • Wooden spoon or spatula

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 red onion (diced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • 800 g can plum tomatoes (2 x 400g cans)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 30 g fresh basil leaves (shredded or torn)
  • salt & black pepper

Instructions

  • Pour the olive oil into a medium sized pan and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, until softened, but do not allow the onions to colour.
  • Add the garlic to the onions and continue to cook for a further minute.
  • Now add the remaining ingredients into the pan and season with salt and pepper.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer the sauce for 20-30 minutes to reduce the sauce, removing most of the excess liquid.
  • Remove from heat and serve with your favourite pasta, or add to any dish requiring a fresh tomato sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 95 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Sodium 145mg6%
Potassium 247mg7%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 232IU5%
Vitamin C 12mg15%
Calcium 52mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •

Course : Sauce
Cuisine : Italian, Mediterranean
Keyword : easy pasta sauce, tomato & basil
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Recipe Rating




5 from 6 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Chloe

Friday 16th of February 2024

You really can't beat a simple tomato sauce and this was perfectly balanced!

Lesley

Friday 16th of February 2024

Thank you Chloe, this simple sauce is so versatile, great on it's own and used as a base sauce for other dishes.

Anna

Monday 29th of January 2024

This recipe is really tasty and is great for meal prep

Lesley

Monday 29th of January 2024

Thank you Anna, yes, this is a great meal prep pasta sauce.

Cat

Wednesday 24th of January 2024

Homemade sauces are always better than shop bought and this one was a big hit!

Lesley

Wednesday 24th of January 2024

Thank you Cat, I really don't think you can beat an easy tomato pasta sauce, so much better than a jar.

Janice

Thursday 11th of January 2024

This is so delicious and so much better than anything from a jar!

Lesley

Thursday 11th of January 2024

Thank you Janice, I could not agree more.

5 from 6 votes (2 ratings without comment)