How to make your own unique Italian tomato sauce recipe

How do you make an Italian tomato sauce? It’s a simple question – ask a few of your friends, however, and you’ll probably get totally different answers. But this is one of the reasons why Italian cooking is so expressive and loved here in the UK; there are no right or wrong answers. Some people will keep it simple, while others will add all sorts of aromatics, herbs and vegetables to add complexity to the final flavour. They might change things depending on whether the sauce is for pasta, pizza or a stew, or have an all-round basic recipe that they swear by.

Rather than dictate how a tomato sauce should be made, it’s better to look at the different factors, methods and ingredients that many cooks use to create their own interpretations of this simple dish. Some will suit certain dishes more than others, and it’s a good idea to swap, mix, match and tinker with different combinations until you’ve found a recipe you can call your own. Below are some basic questions you should ask yourself when coming up with a tomato sauce, which will result in different flavours and textures. At the end of the day, whatever you like best will be the perfect tomato sauce recipe.

You might think that Italians, with all those incredible tomatoes growing in their gardens, would always favour them over the tinned variety. But in fact, the quality of tinned tomatoes is so good these days that they’re generally better suited for sauces. If you have access to incredibly fresh, beautifully ripe tomatoes (which are hard to come by except in the very peak of the season) then you want to celebrate them by serving them raw; when making a sauce, tinned varieties are readily available, contain peeled tomatoes (so you don’t end up with shrivelled skins) and come in a variety of forms. There are whole plum tomatoes which can be crushed and cooked slowly; chopped for a chunkier, rustic sauce or passata for something much smoother and uniform. You can even get tinned tomatoes made with specific varieties such as Pomodorini, Datterini or Tuscan.

Many of the great dishes of Italy require gentle cooking over a long period of time, with a pot emanating delicious aromas and the soothing pop pop pop of bubbles whilst it simmers away. If you’re making a meaty ragù for pasta or a rich, intense beef dish, then low and slow is key. When it comes to tomato sauces, however, you can go both ways – a long slow cooking time will break down the tomatoes into a dark, jammy state, with their red colour intensifying and the flavour getting deeper. If you’re in a rush, however, don’t fret – this is actually a better way to create a tomato sauce if you’re after something lighter, fresher, sweeter and more acidic. A brisk simmer (uncovered) for twenty minutes should be long enough for the tomatoes to break down and create a uniform sauce whilst ensuring those top-note flavours are kept intact.

Think of Italian cooking and nearly every first step of a recipe involves a few glugs of olive oil in a pan. But a lot of cooks will use butter when making a tomato sauce, especially if they’re after a richer, more decadent, velvety finish. The creaminess of the butter contrasts nicely with the bright acidity of the tomatoes, and the two combine to create a flavourful sauce that’s perfect for richer, wintry dishes. Don’t ignore oil completely, however – if you’re after a lighter, fruitier tomato sauce, a spoon of olive oil will help get the tomatoes cooking. A final drizzle just before serving will give the sauce a more prominent olive oil flavour.