Sandra This Bobby Flay Tomato Sauce Recipe is a rich and aromatic recipe, which is made with savory crushed tomatoes and fragrant fresh basil. It’s the perfect base for pasta night, ready in about 35 minutes.
Bobby Flay Tomato Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with the juice (or 1¾ pound fresh tomatoes peeled, seeded, and diced)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 dried bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
How To Make Bobby Flay Tomato Sauce
- Sauté the aromatics: Set a large pot or saucepan over medium-low heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. Once hot, add the finely chopped onions. Cook for four to five minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and beginning to brown slightly.
- Toast the garlic and paste: Add the crushed garlic to the pan, being careful not to burn it (cook for about 30 seconds). Stir in the tomato paste and mix well, cooking for a minute to deepen the flavor.
- Simmer the sauce: Pour in the crushed tomatoes along with their juice (or the prepared fresh tomatoes). Add the brown sugar, dried oregano, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook: Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the sauce simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Finish with basil: Remove the pot from the heat. Discard the bay leaves. Stir in the chopped fresh basil. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
Recipe Tips
- Why use brown sugar: Tomatoes can be highly acidic. The tablespoon of brown sugar neutralizes that acidity, creating a balanced, rounded flavor profile without making the sauce taste “sweet.”
- Tomato Paste: Cooking the tomato paste with the onions and garlic for a minute before adding the liquid tomatoes helps caramelize the sugars in the paste, adding a deeper, savory richness to the final sauce.
- Fresh vs. Canned: While fresh tomatoes are great in season, high-quality canned crushed tomatoes (like San Marzano) provide a consistent texture and flavor year-round and require less prep work.
- Consistency: If you prefer a smoother sauce, you can use an immersion blender at the end. If you like it chunkier, leave it as is or crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as they simmer.
What To Serve With Bobby Flay Tomato Sauce
This versatile sauce is the backbone of many Italian-American dishes.
- Spaghetti: A classic simple dinner.
- Chicken Parmesan: Use it to top breaded chicken cutlets.
- Meatball Subs: Simmer meatballs in the sauce for sandwiches.
- Pizza: It makes an excellent, robust pizza sauce base.
How To Store Bobby Flay Tomato Sauce Recipe
- Refrigerate: Allow the sauce to cool completely. Transfer it to a canning jar or airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: This sauce freezes exceptionally well. Pour cooled sauce into freezer-safe bags or containers (leave room for expansion) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Bobby Flay Tomato Sauce Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 70
- Total Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 250mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 12g
- Dietary Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 8g
- Protein: 2g
Nutrition information is estimated per ½ cup serving.
FAQs
If using fresh tomatoes, it is highly recommended to peel them. Tomato skins can become tough and stringy when cooked down in a sauce, ruining the texture. Blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds to peel easily.
If you don’t have fresh basil, you can use dried basil, but add it at the beginning with the oregano so it has time to rehydrate. Use about 1 teaspoon of dried basil to replace the tablespoon of fresh.
Tomato sauce is thick and tends to bubble and splatter. Keeping the heat on low and using a lid (slightly ajar to let steam escape if you want it thicker) helps prevent a messy stove.
Try More Recipes:
- Bobby Flay Barbecue Sauce Recipe
- Bobby Flay Horseradish Sauce Recipe
- Bobby Flay Green Chile Applesauce Recipe
Bobby Flay Tomato Sauce Recipe
Description
This Bobby Flay Tomato Sauce Recipe is a pantry-staple classic, combining the sweetness of brown sugar and onions with the acidity of tomatoes for a balanced, versatile red sauce.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot over medium-low heat.
- Sauté onion for 4-5 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes, sugar, oregano, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and simmer on low for 20-30 minutes.
- Remove from heat; discard bay leaves and stir in basil.
Notes
- Simmering: The longer you simmer, the thicker and more concentrated the flavor will become.
- Garlic: Crushed garlic cloves infuse flavor gently; mince them if you want a stronger garlic bite.
- Variations: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the onions for an “Arrabbiata” style spicy kick.
