This tomato and basil sauce is a foundational preparation for pasta, pizza, lasagna and other Mediterranean or Italian dishes. The method gently softens the onion, briefly cooks the garlic and simmers the tomatoes before adding fresh basil.
The quantities below retain the original Monir Chef recipe rather than reducing the batch. The archive labels its yield as 1 gallon (3.84 liters); that is the source label, not a measured ShamsMag yield. Evaporation and the tomatoes' moisture affect the final amount.
Ingredients
- 60 ml (2 oz) olive oil
- 340 g (12 oz) finely chopped onion
- 18 g (2 tablespoons) garlic, finely chopped or thinly sliced
- 4.8 liters (5 quarts) plum tomatoes, chopped with their juice
- 85 g (3 oz) fresh basil, cut into fine ribbons (chiffonade)
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Method
- Soften the onion. Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a broad saucepan or rondeau, preferably nonreactive stainless steel or enamel. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 12–15 minutes.
- Add the garlic. Stir constantly until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not let it brown, as this can give the sauce a bitter flavor.
- Cook the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes with their juice and increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes, until thickened. Cooking time depends on the tomatoes' moisture; simmer longer if the sauce remains too thin.
- Add the basil and season. Stir in the basil and simmer for another 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Choose the texture. Leave the sauce chunky, use a whisk to break up larger pieces for a rough purée, or pass it through a food mill fitted with a coarse disc for a smoother sauce.
Canned-tomato alternative
The source permits 9 lb (4.08 kg) canned plum tomatoes in place of the fresh tomatoes. Drain excess liquid if needed. If you prefer, pass the canned tomatoes through a food mill before adding them. Keep the other ingredient quantities and cooking sequence unchanged.
Use and storage
Use the sauce immediately or cool it promptly and refrigerate. As a separate food-handling precaution, divide a large batch into smaller, shallow containers instead of leaving a deep pot on the counter. Label stored portions with their preparation date.
This is not a tested home-canning recipe. Sealing hot sauce in a jar does not establish that it is shelf stable. Explore more foundational preparations in ShamsMag Cooking.
Editorial sources
Translated and edited from the owner's Monir Chef archive, recipe 5519. Ingredients, amounts, alternatives and cooking sequence are retained. No independent kitchen test or verified finished yield is claimed. Cooling reference: USDA: Can you put hot food in the refrigerator? Cover: AI-generated illustration.
