Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

I had a bunch of tomatoes that I needed to use up or they were going to go bad. I thought a fresh pasta sauce would be really tasty, plus I was making homemade pasta (click here for recipe) and I thought the combination would be really fresh tasting and delicious.

The prep work for this pasta sauce is pretty easy. You just have to chop up your tomatoes, onion, garlic and herbs. Then you let it simmer for a couple of hours so that the tomatoes have time to break down and make a delicious sauce. Just be aware….your kitchen will smell amazing while this is going on and you will become very hungry! Once it’s done simmering , you can either leave it as a chunky sauce or you can puree it into a smoother sauce. I pureed it because Alex doesn’t like chunks of tomatoes.

The result was super fresh and delicious. And served over the homemade pasta made it just that much better!

Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

2 lbs fresh tomatoes
1 red onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper, divided
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)
2 tbsp fresh parsley
3 tbsp olive oil

I like to use the tomato paste that’s in a tube. It lasts for a really long time in the fridge after you’ve opened it.

Chop the tomatoes, onion and the herbs. Thinly slice the garlic.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, season with 1/4 tsp salt,1/4 tsp pepper and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Saute for about five minutes, until onions are tender.

Add wine, bring to a boil and reduce for about 2 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste.

Stir in tomatoes and herbs and bring to a bubble.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. After two hours the tomatoes will have broken down, but the sauce will still be chunky. At this point you can serve as is…..

…..or you can puree into a smoother sauce with an immersion blender or a regular blender. I left a little bit of texture in my sauce, but you can do whatever you like!