Over the last few weeks, I have been making this simple small batch tomato sauce on repeat to serve with zucchini noodles for an easy dinner. Since it is just the two of us, I usually depend on jarred tomato sauce for meals but picked up too many heirloom tomatoes at the market so I created this sauce.
It was so good, I keep making it again and again. I feel like a lot of the tomato sauce recipes I’ve looked at online make a huge batch of sauce. Since I don’t have a lot of pantry or freezer space I prefer to make a smaller batch we can use up in one or two meals so this sauce was born.
Small Batch Tomato Sauce Ingredients
- Tomatoes: Since it is the end of summer and tomatoes are still abundant at the farmers market, we are going to use fresh ones for this sauce. I love using heirloom tomatoes for this sauce, but you can save some money and use any variety of tomato you have on hand. (Sometimes you can find a deal on tomatoes at the market by seeing if they have any”seconds” which are a little bruised but still edible!) Picking up tomatoes from the farmers market can be a good way to ensure that your tomatoes are a fresh as possible since they will give you a much more flavorful sauce.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Italian Seasoning
- Red Wine: I love adding a little red wine to a tomato sauce because it adds some richness and depth to the sauce that you wouldn’t normally get with a sauce made from fresh tomatoes.
- Basil: Add your fresh basil at the end to get the most flavor out of it.
This sauce comes together really easily in a large pot or large deep skillet on the stovetop. I like my tomato sauce to be chunky so I serve it right from the pot, but if you prefer a smooth sauce, simply puree it before serving.
What to Serve with this Small Batch Tomato Sauce:
- Any kind of your favorite noodle – penne, spaghetti, fusilli, etc. Make it a meal by adding some plant-based sausage or some vegetarian “meat”balls from the recipes below.
- Zucchini noodles or spaghetti sauce
- Stuffed shells, lasagna, ravioli, eggplant parmesan, etc.
Use this small batch tomato sauce in one of these tasty recipes:
- Vegan spinach and mushroom lasagna
- Lentil walnut “meat”balls and spaghetti
- Vegetarian white bean “meat”balls
- Vegan skillet lasagna (one pot!)
If you tried this recipe or one of my others, let me know! Leave a comment below or share a picture on instagram #dietitiandebbie. Got Pinterest? Pin this recipe to your Pinterest boards!
Small Batch Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add olive oil and onion to a large, deep skillet or enamelware pot and cook over medium-high heat until transulent and softened.
- Stir in the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add the diced tomatoes and red wine. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the tomato paste and Italian seasoning and continue to simmer for about 25 minutes or until tomatoes have fallen apart and sauce thickens.
- Stir in sea salt and adjust as needed to taste.
- Puree sauce if desired. Stir in chopped basil and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
How long will this sauce last sealed in the fridge?
Great question! You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Hi there — quick question in regards to the tomatoes ! Do you peel the skins off & get rid of the seeds? Or just include the skins and seeds into the pot?
Hi Katie! I just include the skins and seeds since I don’t mind a chunky sauce. You can puree it all after cooking if you like a smooth tomato sauce.
Easy to whip up and tasted good. I pureed it down to a chunky sauce.
What can I use instead of red wine for this recipe
You can just leave out the red wine if you’d prefer.
Easy to make, healthy ingredients and nice flavor. I will use this recipe again.