sprinklefingers

jamie oliver’s simple tomato sauce recipe has saved me on more than one occasion.

take tonight for instance. we’ve just wrapped up our busiest v-day ever at work. i’ve got so much additional work-related crap going on that i basically can’t think about anything else. i mean, honestly, it’s even getting in the way of my gym classes (which i devote myself to 100% because going to the gym is cheaper than therapy and a lot more fun. and, really, have you ever talked to me on a day i’ve skipped the gym? i can be a bitch. no, really. i can.)

anyways, tonight. i got home from work and immediately got down to business figuring out what to feed the kid for dinner. like i said, i’ve had a busy week so our cupboard is pretty much in the way of old mother hubbard’s. basically we’re down to cheese and some whole wheat english muffins. and then i remembered: jars of jamie’s simple tomato sauce! in my freezer! the kid loves english muffin pizzas! perfect.

jamie’s tomato sauce

olive oil
clove garlic - minced fine
fresh basil leaves - to taste (i usually use half a bundle of basil.)
14oz can san marzano tomatoes (whole, not crushed or diced.)
salt & pepper

heat a splash of oil in a saucepan. add the garlic. when it turns golden (but not too golden,) add basil leaves, the tomatoes and a few pinches of salt & pepper. cook gently for 20 minutes, smashing & crushing the tomatoes as the sauce cooks. after 20 minutes, make sure the tomatoes are mashed so that the sauce is somewhat smooth.

after 20 minutes of cooking time, you can either cook the sauce a bit longer to make it thicker, or stop cooking. i usually keep it going a bit longer. when the sauce has reached your desired stage, remove the saucepan from the heat and decide to either remove the basil leaves or leave them in. if i’m making the sauce for my kid, i usually remove the leaves. the sauce WILL have a nice basil-y flavor even if you do remove the leaves.

i usually double or triple this recipe and freeze it in very small portions. that way i can thaw small amounts of sauce at a time. makes sense, especially if i’m really just going to make a few english muffin pizzas. as a result, i don’t have a vat of defrosted sauce that i have to figure out what to do with…instead i have the perfect amount.

here’s how i do it:

triple the above recipe, keeping in mind the cooking time will be longer. just cook past 20 minutes, then start checking the sauce - you basically want it to look like something you’d like to spread on a pizza (and don’t forget, taste it, too!)

after the sauce has cooled a bit, ladle it into 4oz freezer-safe glass jars. i like these in the 4oz size best. label your jars and put them in the freezer. they’ll be there for you when your cupboard is bare!

ps: this sauce also works on real, actual pizza. or as a dipping sauce for delicious bread. or with a bit of fresh mozzerella over pasta. or you can skip all that and eat it with a spoon.