Ingredients and quantities
For around four portions of sauce, prepare 800 g of ripe tomatoes or tinned peeled tomatoes, one medium onion, two garlic cloves, two tablespoons of olive oil, half a teaspoon of oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow ten minutes for preparation and around thirty minutes for cooking. If using tinned tomatoes, check the ingredients and seasoning before adding salt. The final quantity varies with the tomatoes’ water content and how much the sauce reduces.
Prepare the aromatic base
Peel and chop the onion and garlic. If using fresh tomatoes, wash them, remove the stem attachment and cut into pieces. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium-low heat and cook the onion for around five minutes, stirring. Add the garlic for another minute. Avoid letting it become too dark. The base should release its aroma and soften before the tomatoes are added, without making the sauce bitter.
Let the sauce cook, and watch it
Add the tomatoes and oregano. Once simmering, reduce the heat and cook partially covered for twenty to twenty-five minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce thickens before the tomatoes soften, add a little water. If it remains too watery at the end, remove the lid and reduce for a few more minutes. Watch for splashes and use a pan deep enough to work comfortably.
Choose the texture and taste
Leave the sauce chunky or blend it, removing the pan from the heat and using equipment suitable for hot liquids. Adjust salt and pepper only after checking the final concentration. Different tomatoes can produce different flavours, so do not add sugar or another seasoning out of habit. Taste first and decide what you want to change. Small additions let you follow their effect without losing balance.
Adapt it to the intended dish
A sauce for coating pasta may benefit from some fluidity; a filling may need further reduction. Add fresh herbs at the end if you want their aroma to remain more noticeable. This recipe offers a base rather than a single correct version for every dish. The photograph shows tomatoes as an ingredient and is illustrative. When repeating it, note the product and reduction time: both help reproduce the consistency you liked.
