This is my great Aunt Carm and Theresa’s pasta sauce recipe. I love a whole bunch of different sauces with creams, pestos, and chunky veggies. But this sauce is simple and perfect for just about anything.
This post includes Amazon affiliate links. There is no obligation to buy. I only recommend products that I own, use or would buy myself unless otherwise specified.
Ingredients
- garlic cloves
- ~ 1/4 C olive oil
- 1 15 oz can tomato paste
- 2 29oz cans tomato sauce
- water
- 1 jar Bertolli Vodka sauce
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (depends on taste)
Tips
I don’t know how anyone lives without a garlic press.
Open your cans of sauce to have at the ready before you put your garlic over heat. Garlic browns in an instant. This can save you from having to start over.
Rubber scrapers are awesome for getting everything out of the cans.
Sometimes the sauce tastes too acidic. Drop a few baby carrots in while it’s simmering to draw that out. Remove them before serving or storing.
You can can extra sauce while it’s hot. Pour it into jars and let the lids seal and the depressors suck in.
You can freeze extra sauce as well.
If you screw up and get extra sauce instead of paste (yup, been there), don’t add the water and go lighter on the garlic and seasoning. It all works out.
This is a great base sauce for adding meat, vegetables, herbs or using in other recipes that call for sauce like stuffed peppers and stuffed cabbage.
Directions
Pour oil into a large pot. You need just enough to cover the bottom. There is a sweet spot.
Mince garlic and add until it covers the bottom of the pot.
Simmer the garlic for a few minutes on medium low heat. Watch intently. Do NOT let it turn brown.
Pour the cans of sauce in first. Then scoop out the paste.
Put some water in all of the cans and scrape the edges to get the rest of the sauces out.
Dump them into the tomato paste can. Fill it the rest of the way with water and dump that into the sauce pot. You want a medium consistency.
Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
Stir it every now and then to keep it from sticking and burning on the bottom.
Add the salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with pasta, veggies, bread or as a dipping sauce for meatballs.
Want More?
Check out other Family Recipes or the main Food Hub.
