3-5 cloves garlic (minced or put through a garlic press)
2 teaspoons dried basil
pinch red pepper flakes (about 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 pat butter, about 2 teaspoons
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup water
Steps
Heat the olive oil over high heat until it shimmers. Saute the onions, stirring frequently, until they soften and shine, about three minutes. The onions should sizzle and hiss as they cook. Add the garlic. Stir to combine. This prevents the garlic from burning. Cook an additional two minutes. Add the basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and sugar. Stir to combine. Add the butter. Stir, cook for about a minute.
Add 1/2 can of the crushed tomatoes. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck on bits. Reduce heat to low. Add remaining tomatoes. Stir in 1/4 cup water. If the sauce seems too thick, add additional water.
Allow sauce to simmer for 10 minutes to up to one hour. If simmering for a longer, stir the sauce occasionally and add additional water as needed to keep the sauce at the correct consistency.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 144 kcal
Reviews
liliana on 2026-11-07 (1 stars): I made it and it was actually really gross, the onion was very very very over powering and just overall tasted horrible :(
GG on 2026-10-21 (5 stars): Super easy and delicious! I used an immersion blender for a smooth texture. We had about a cup leftover which I ate as tomato soup the following day for lunch. Best tomato soup I’ve ever tasted!!! Thanks for recipe.
Cheryl Clarner on 2026-10-09 (4 stars): One of the few things I have success growing is basil. Can I use fresh basil? any suggestion as to the amount to use? Thank you.
Vicci on 2026-09-15 (4 stars): You guys! Your making this delicious sauce and no one has mentioned f
Making extra and freezing it! If you have the freezer space why not! Sometimes I make at least 6 quarts to have at a time! I love pulling already made sauce and soups out of the freezer for dinners! Taste even better once it sits around!
Cincin 😆 on 2026-07-16 (5 stars): You can tell he's not even a real Italian.
Looking forward to making this along with homemade ricotta (though maybe it isn't really ricotta since I didn't milk the cow) for some lip smackin' lasagna.
Chantal Stanyer on 2026-07-07 (5 stars): I've made this recipe several times now! I've substituted fresh basil (since it's rhe season) and followed the rest of the recipe. ALWAYS so good and enough for two suppers (two people)! We're having it over cannelonis tonight.
Reg on 2026-06-30 (5 stars): Bob is right.
Any pasta recommendations by Thomas M Robertson end up not being real sauce!
And I will be making this tonight.
Gina on 2026-06-28 (5 stars): Fabulous! I love the true taste of the tomatoes shining through. My hubby doesn't like chunky sauces, so I used the emulsion blender on the sauce after combining everything, then let it simmer for a little over an hour. It was silky textured and delicious. Thank you!
Nancy on 2026-06-22 (5 stars): No more jars of ready-made sauce for me. I give it 10 stars. How long will it keep in the fridge? I wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you.
Landon on 2026-05-25 (4 stars): I'm still tryna find who asked
