Classic Tomato Sauce

Name: Classic Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp dried basil; Salt and pepper, to taste

6 servings10 min prep45 min cookEasy

♡ Sign in to save Print / Save as PDFPro

The Story Behind It

The Tale of Classic Tomato Sauce

Story updated September 18, 2026

Tomato sauce became central to Italian cooking only after tomatoes, a New World crop, arrived in Europe and were gradually accepted as food rather than an ornamental curiosity. Naples is often credited as the birthplace of tomato sauce's popularization in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Ingredients

Scale:· 6 servings

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1Sauté onion in olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes.
2Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3Stir in crushed tomatoes, sugar, and basil.
4Simmer, partially covered, 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5Season with salt and pepper.

Want Cook Mode, your own recipe photos, and unlimited calculators?

Get Home Cooking Pro

Comments

Loading comments…