Firstly this sauce is no revelation but it is mighty nice, cheap and in sauce terms very quick to make.

It's not a hard and fast recipe either so can be adapted according to fridge contents.

So how did I come across it...

I hated tomatoes and the only tomato based food I would eat was pizza but one day I was at a friends house having dinner and was presented with a plate of pasta smothered in Dolmio pasta sauce. Out of pure politeness I decided I would try and eat it. To my surprise it was quite nice but still not perfect and buying of the shelf sauces is more expensive than home cooking so I decided I would try my own.

I went to my local shop and purchased some expensive tinned tomatoes and over time and testing I think I have come up with a recipe that never fails to be nutritious and pleasant to eat so here it is:

INGREDIENTS: (produces around 10 servings, can be frozen and easily reheated)
8 tins plum tomatoes (Cheapest are fine I have discovered)
1.5 Large Onions
3 Cloves Garlic
Vegetables (Use your favorite, a few carrots, some broccoli, courgettes and green/red peppers work well using a handful or so of each)
Basil
Salt
Soy Sauce
Olive Oil

COOKING:
Chop the onions and vegetables into chuncky pieces
Chop the garlic finely or use a garlic crusher
Heat a small amount of Olive Oil in a large wok or pan and then add the onions and garlic. Fry for a few minutes until slightly browning.
Add the vegetables and fry for a few minutes making sure you keep turing and stirring.
Then you can just go right ahead and add all the tinned tomatoes and make sure th heat is fairly high.
Now keep watch on the tomatoes and stir and slowly crush them with your stirring device (this will get easier as the cooking goes on) until it starts to produce a lumpy sauce (should be about 10mins)
Add a small amount of salt and soy sauce (to taste) then add loads of basil.
Keep the whole thing simering for another 10-15mins making sure you keep coming back to further crush the tomaties and stir the mixture.

Then serve straight onto whatever type of pasta you wish.

I told you it was simple and I promise you it is nice!

A small tip... if your tomatoes are having a touch time condensing down then add a small amount of sugar and this seems to help them break up.

I use this recipe quite often and make it is varied batch sizes depending on how many ingredients I have in the fridge. It can be easily frozen and reheated in a pan or microwave. I also sometimes add chilli powder and have added curry powder and chick peas to turn it into a basic curry.

I think 10 servings could easily be made for around 8/$15 if you shop for the cheapest stuff which has always worked out fine for me.

Learn more about this author, Ian Parks.
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