Basic Tomato Sauce

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While one usually associates Oregano and Basil with pasta sauce, this sauce is built with Thyme. The combination of seasonings lends itself to an excellent basic sauce. Grazie, Mario!

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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

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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.

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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.

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The recipe did nothing for my taste buds. Very bland! Decided to add a tsp of sugar and 2 tsps of Basil and WAH-LA! Now it tastes more like true Italian Spaghetti Sauce. A little enhancement went a long way! Try it!

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This recipe was simple, but had almost no more flavor than if you'd heated up the can of tomatoes alone. I know of an even simpler recipe that's much better. You can find it online (somewhere but to sum it up: dump a 28-oz can of tomatoes into a (non-aluminum pot. Cut an onion in half, and throw half in the pot. Put in 2 Tb or more butter. Simmer.
DONE! Of course you can add your own touches (herbs, garlic, Greek yogurt, but try the basic first. So simple, so easy, so good.

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A good basic sauce recipe. Some comments on what others have written:

If your sauce is bitter, it's likely due to the seeds in the tomatoes. Pass the tomatoes through a foodmill to get rid of skins/seeds and you'll notice a huge difference.

For those who complain about the thyme...use less (or none at all. Personally, I love thyme and use 3 TBSP of FRESH thyme in this recipe and never have I had it "overpower" the sauce.

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Like most of Mario's recipes it's not traditional and most Italians would never recognize this as an authentic sauce.

The thyme overpowers it and thyme does NOT belong in Italian red sauces, plus there is to much carrot and it?s not cooked long enough to develop the flavors.

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i've searched for years for a italian gravy for my meatballs that doesn't taste like bitter tomato paste and i thought this would be it..after all...it's mario and he's the best of the best...i was wrong...this recipe is like all of the others...bitter...with slumped shoulders and hung head my quest continues...

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After searching for ages for a good, solid tomato sauce, I finally stumbled upon this one. And what a find! I like my tomato sauces chunky, and this is perfecto, but for those who like a smoother texture, be warned. I've also tinkered with it here and there: adding fresh mushrooms to the onion/garlic step, tossing in some Italian sausage. Personally, I think this recipe works best with a larger noodle, like penne: it just grabs the sauce better.