Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion, 1/4-inch dice
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
- 1/2 medium carrot, finely grated
- 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
- Salt
- Spaghetti, cooked al dente
- Whole basil leaves, for garnish
- Grated Parmesan, (optional)
Directions
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot, and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
When ready to use, the cooked pasta should be added to a saucepan with the appropriate
amount of sauce. Garnish with basil leaves and cheese, if using.



















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By jvmoody_590707
Omaha, NE
on January 05, 2012
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So easy, quick and simply the best. I always have it on hand. Freezes nicely, thaws quickly. I use it for both a basic sauce on pasta and for pizza. Never use any canned tomato other than San Marzano. The only change I make is less thyme. (I use dried, less than a tablespoon
By jrivero
La Jolla, CA
on March 29, 2011
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I didn't give it 5 stars is because I didn't follow the exact recipe, but what I did make turned out delicious! Some people thought the sauce turned out bitter or bland- instead of just using regular canned peeled tomato, I used Hunts basil garlic and oregano diced tomato. That way you don't have to worry about removing seeds or getting a bitter taste, and it immediately solves the bland issue since these tomatoes have a lot of flavor. I also added fresh rosemary, ground black pepper, and at least one extra clove of garlic. I kept the onion a bit crunchy and made sure there was plenty. I didn't use any carrot. I found the thyme actually pretty subtle with all the other flavors and the natural sweetness of the seasoned diced tomatoes. The sauce I made had a lot of rich flavor and tasted very fresh, but be warned it is a very chunky recipe. If you like a smooth sauce to pour over your pasta this isn't it, but it might be something that could be altered into a really good bruschetta.
By kitchencrusader
San Luis Obispo, CA
on December 04, 2010
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I think this is the most amazing tomato sauce ever! I will never go back to anything else and it is so easy. The fresh thyme from my deck is the secret ingredient.
Read all 36 reviews