A simple Italian tomato sauce built on garlic, olive oil, and tinned plum tomatoes, sharpened with chilli flakes and oregano, then finished with fresh basil. It is rich, aromatic, and deeply savoury with a gentle heat and just enough sweetness to balance the acidity. Versatile enough to serve with pasta, spoon over pizza, or use as a base for other dishes.
4clove
3tbsp
0.25tsp
800g
1tsp
0.5tsp
0.5tsp
0.25tsp
10g| # | Product | Quantity | Notes | State | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 4clove | — | — | |
| 2 | | 3tbsp | — | — | |
| 3 | | 0.25tsp | — | — | |
| 4 | | 800g | — | — | |
| 5 | | 1tsp | — | — | |
| 6 | | 0.5tsp | — | — | |
| 7 | | 0.5tsp | — | — | |
| 8 | | 0.25tsp | — | — | |
| 9 | | 10g | — | — |
Peel the garlic cloves and lay them on the chopping board.
Garlic clove · 4 clove
Slice the peeled garlic cloves thinly and evenly.
Pour the olive oil into the pan.
Light olive oil · 3 tbsp
Set the pan over a medium heat and warm the oil until it shimmers.
Slide the sliced garlic cloves into the heated olive oil.
Add the dried chilli flakes to the pan with the garlic.
Chilli flakes · 0.25 tspStir the garlic and chilli flakes gently and sauté until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not coloured.
Tip the tinned whole plum tomatoes into the softened garlic and chilli oil.
Tinned whole plum tomatoes · 800 gSprinkle the dried oregano over the tomatoes.
Dried oregano · 1 tspAdd the caster sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
Caster sugar · 0.5 tspAdd the salt to the pan.
Salt · 0.5 tspAdd the black pepper to the pan.
Ground black pepper · 0.25 tspCrush the whole plum tomatoes against the side of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon to break them down into a rough sauce.
Bring the crushed tomato mixture up to a steady simmer.
Let the sauce simmer steadily, stirring occasionally, until it is rich, thick and deeply flavoured.
Tear the fresh basil leaves into rough pieces directly over the sauce and stir them through.
Fresh basil leaves · 10 gLadle the marinara sauce into a serving bowl and bring to the table.
| # | Product | Tool | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 clove | | Peel the garlic cloves and lay them on the chopping board.⏱ 30sResultPeeled garlic cloves |
| 2 | Peeled garlic clovesstep 1 | | Slice the peeled garlic cloves thinly and evenly.⏱ 30sResultSliced peeled Garlic cloveused in step 5 |
| 3 | 3 tbsp | | Pour the olive oil into the pan.⏱ 5sResultLight olive oil |
| 4 | — | | Set the pan over a medium heat and warm the oil until it shimmers.⏱ 1 minResultHeated olive oil |
| 5 | Sliced peeled Garlic clovestep 2 | | Slide the sliced garlic cloves into the heated olive oil.⏱ 5sResultSliced peeled garlic clove and heated olive oil |
| 6 | 0.25 tsp | | Add the dried chilli flakes to the pan with the garlic.⏱ 5sResultSliced peeled garlic clove and heated olive oil and dried chilli flakes |
| 7 | — | | Stir the garlic and chilli flakes gently and sauté until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not coloured.⏱ 3 minResultChilli-infused garlic oil |
| 8 | 800 g | | Tip the tinned whole plum tomatoes into the softened garlic and chilli oil.⏱ 10sResultChilli-infused garlic oil and tinned whole plum tomatoes |
| 9 | 1 tsp | | Sprinkle the dried oregano over the tomatoes.⏱ 5sResultChilli-infused garlic oil and tinned whole plum tomatoes and dried oregano |
| 10 | 0.5 tsp | | Add the caster sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.⏱ 5sResultTinned whole plum tomato mixture |
| 11 | 0.5 tsp | | Add the salt to the pan.⏱ 5sResultTinned whole plum tomato mixture |
| 12 | 0.25 tsp | | Add the black pepper to the pan.⏱ 5sResultTinned whole plum tomato mixture |
| 13 | — | | Crush the whole plum tomatoes against the side of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon to break them down into a rough sauce.⏱ 1 minResultCrushed tomato mixture |
| 14 | — | | Bring the crushed tomato mixture up to a steady simmer.⏱ 2 minResultLoosened crushed tomato sauce |
| 15 | — | | Let the sauce simmer steadily, stirring occasionally, until it is rich, thick and deeply flavoured.⏱ 20 minResultReduced marinara sauce |
| 16 | 10 g | | Tear the fresh basil leaves into rough pieces directly over the sauce and stir them through.⏱ 10sResultTorn basil leaves |
| 17 | Torn basil leavesstep 16 | | Ladle the marinara sauce into a serving bowl and bring to the table.⏱ 10sResultMarinara Sauce |
| Total Time | 33 min | ||
Not served on its own — it goes into or alongside other dishes. Keep it until it is needed.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| 63kcal | |
| 1g | |
| 5g | |
| 0.8g | |
| 5g | |
| 3g | |
| 1g | |
| 483mg |
A simple Italian tomato sauce built on garlic, olive oil, and tinned plum tomatoes, sharpened with chilli flakes and oregano, then finished with fresh basil. It is rich, aromatic, and deeply savoury with a gentle heat and just enough sweetness to balance the acidity. Versatile enough to serve with pasta, spoon over pizza, or use as a base for other dishes.
What you’ll doYou will soften sliced garlic and chilli flakes in olive oil, add tinned plum tomatoes with oregano, sugar and seasoning, and crush them in the pan. The sauce simmers until thick and is finished with fresh basil.
