Sicilian Tomato Sauce

Add a burst of Mediterranean flavors to your bread or pasta with the sweet and savory blend of our Sicilian Tomato Sauce.

How to Make Sicilian Tomato Sauce

Step 1: Prepare your ingredients by mincing the garlic, grating the carrot, and chopping the onion, oregano, and basil.

Step 2: Heat the olive oil over medium heat and then add the onions,  sauté until translucent. Add minced garlic, stirring for 1-2 minutes.

Step 3: Pour in crushed tomatoes, and then add your grated carrot, oregano, basil, chilli (if using it), salt, and pepper.

Step 4: Stir until well mixed. Simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally as sauce thickens. You can add a little water if it thickens too much, and a teaspoon of sugar if it’s too acidic.

Step 5: Garnish with fresh basil (I like stirring mine in for a more even flavour) and serve with bread or on top of pasta.

Tweaks

Try a few of these tweaks if you’re looking to change things up.

• Herbal Experiments: Try experimenting with different herbs. Thyme, rosemary, or marjoram are good options for added complexity.
• Additional Aromatics: Add a bay leaf (I do this) to infuse additional flavor into the sauce. Just remember to remove it before serving.
• Caramelize those Onions: Taking the extra time to caramelize your onions will add a sweet and rich depth to the sauce. I love this one when using the sauce exclusively on pasta versus bread.
• Roast the Garlic: Roast the garlic before adding it to the sauce for a milder, slightly sweet flavor.
• Parmesan Rind: If you have a Parmesan cheese rind, toss it into the sauce while it simmers. It’ll add a savory richness to your sauce. Or, garnish the original recipe with a little grated parmesan.

Storage

Admittedly, this sauce is best fresh. But if you made too much, never fear, here’s how to manage your leftovers.

Refrigerate: Homemade pasta sauces will last 3-4 days in the fridge. Once you’ve let it cool, transfer it to a glass container, and then cover. A few layers of cling wrap or a reusable lid will do.

Freeze: Most pasta sauce can be frozen for up to 6 months, but this one is chunky…really chunky. Which means it does better when you only freeze it for 3 months. If you’ve still got a lot, divvy your sauce into appropriate portion sizes and take some to work for lunch. Want more help? Read this.

Reheat: The best way to thaw your pasta sauce is to place it in the refrigerator overnight. Once mostly defrosted, you can place your pasta sauce in a sauce pan on a low burner setting, stirring every few minutes.

Alternatively, you can place your pasta sauce directly in the microwave from frozen. If you choose this method, ensure you’re using a low setting and remove it every few minutes to stir thoroughly. Also, don’t forget a loose fitting lid to keep any splatter at bay.

Sicilian Tomato Sauce Recipe

4.5 from 4 votes

Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

45

minutes

This is my freezer-friendly recipe for Sicilian tomato sauce.

Cook Mode

Keeps the screen of your device ON

Ingredients

Metric US

• 400 g 1 2/3 cup – Can Crushed Tomatoes (Ideally San Marzano)

• 3 3 – Garlic Cloves, Minced

• 1 1 – Medium Onion, Finely Chopped

• 1 1 – Carrot, Finely Grated

• 1 tbsp 1 tbsp – Fresh Oregano, Chopped (or 1 tsp Dried)

• Handful of Fresh Basil, Chopped (or 1 tsp Dried)

• 1 1 – Dried Chilli, Optional

• 2 tbsp 2 tbsp – Olive Oil

• 1 tsp 1 tsp – Sugar

Directions

• Prep
  Get your ingredients ready by mincing the garlic, grating the carrots, and chopping the onion, oregano, and basil.
• Onion and Garlic Base
  In a large saucepan or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and  sauté until translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes without letting the garlic brown.
• Add Other Ingredients
  Pour in the crushed tomatoes, grated carrot, oregano, basil, chilli (if using), salt, and pepper.
• Simmer
  Reduce heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce gets too thick, you can add a little water. If the sauce is too acidic, add the sugar.
• Taste and Adjust
  Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed before taking the sauce off the heat.
• Garnish
  Remove from heat and stir in some fresh parsley or basil for a fresh touch.

Recipe Video