Agile in the kitchen

The best adaptable basic tomato sauce

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Tomato plant flower

Tomato harvesting season

We are in the middle of tomato harvesting season, and there is no better time to make a big batch of this hearty, tasty tomato sauce. It’s a perfect dish to have in your repertoire because of the many variations you can make with this one base, sure to please everyone around the table. The addition of red lentils to the sauce gives it a valuable boost of protein.

I’m only on my second season trying to grow tomatoes on my own. First year I bought a plant that grew and grew and grew. It got really tall, but that was it. I enjoyed its green leaves and the knowledge that I had helped it grow, but there were no signs of any tomatoes.

This year I bought two plants and they seem to like each other, growing entwined, and I have even seen some yellow flowers, but no tomatoes.

Year three will be my year!

Ingredients to tomato sauce lined up on a kitchen towel with green leaves. One red onion, a glass bottle with red lentils, three garlic cloves, a bowl with oregano, salt, sugar and white pepper, a green bowl with crushed tomatoes.
Tomato sauce cooking

When there are no tomatoes to harvest

Good thing I have canned crushed tomatoes on hand to use for this tomato sauce. This sauce will come together quick and easy and mostly sorts itself out on the stove. One pot is all that is needed, simplifying the dishes at the end.

Tomato sauce cooking together in a pan.

It freezes exceptionally well and you can keep it in your freezer for months. When thawing, either take it out the night before and let it thaw in the fridge. Or if you forget, it works just as well to heat it straight from the freezer, in a pan on low heat and stir occasionally.

If you prefer to versify your sauce, there are a lot of different things you can add. Do this a the same time as you add the crushed tomatoes or during the thawing process when reheating on low.

Tomato sauce plated on top of a green bowl with spaghetti that is sitting on a kitchen towel printed with green leaves.

Baked feta cheese

Last night, I made a tasty vegetarian dish with feta cheese and black olives, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano.

Tomato sauce in a glass dish with black olives and two feta cheese bricks, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano.
Tomato sauce variation with black olives, feta cheese, olive oil and oregano.

Spreading the tomato sauce in the bottom of an oven safe glass pan and placed a brick of feta cheese on top. Cutting the black olives in half I spread them over the tomato sauce and the feta cheese, drizzling everything with olive oil and sprinkling with oregano before placing the pan in the middle of the oven at 200 degrees Celsius (390F) for 20 minutes.

Baked feta cheese in tomato sauce with black olives on a bed of couscous in a white bowl on a white background.
Baked feta cheese in tomato sauce over a bed of couscous

Served on a bed of couscous and a green salad.

I used about half of the tomato sauce and freezing the rest to have it ready for the busy weeks I have coming up.

Tomato sauce cooking in a pot with red onions and red lentils.
Print Recipe

The best adaptable basic tomato sauce

Use this delicious tomato sauce base for everything from pasta sauce to tomato soup and bolognese
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Basics
Keyword: quick, tomatoes, versatile
Servings: 8 portions

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 cans 400g crushed tomatoes
  • 100 ml red lentils
  • 200 ml water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • A pinch of white pepper

Instructions

  • Chop one large onion and mince the garlic.
  • Add oil to a deep pot and toss in the onions, fry until soft, which will take about 5 minutes, add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
  • Add the tomatoes, lentils and water, give a good stir.
  • Then add salt, oregano and sugar.
  • Bring to boil and let simmer under lid 15-20 minutes.
  • Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
  • Serve with pasta or rice

Notes

I often use canola/vegetable oil when cooking, it has a high heat resistance and does not flavour the food.
Using only one pot, saves me doing anymore dishes than I have to, frying the onions in the pot your planning to use for the sauce itself.
If you prefer a smoother sauce, once cooked together carefully pour it in to a blender and blend on high speed until reach desired consistency. Be aware! The sauce will be very hot.

Other variations to try

Make it spicy with the addition of 1 jar (200 grams) of salsa.
Even more vegetables with a 500 grams bag of fresh spinach and two shredded carrots in my even more vegetables Healthy version of the same recipe.
Missing the meat? Add 400 grams mince beef or vegetarian mince to turn it in to a Bolognese.

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