I’m not one to brag, but this tomato sauce has been described as ‘delicious’ and the ‘best thing ever!’ by one of the fussiest 6-year old boys I’ve ever met. And he proved it with an empty plate at the end of the meal. Trust me, that’s both a rarity and a very good sign.
Now don’t get me wrong, he does eat. It’s just that he is extremely fussy. There are about 10 things he enjoys and it is very hard to get him to try anything out of his comfort zone. Everything else ‘smells weird’ or ‘just looks gross’. One of the things he enjoys most is a big ol’ bowl of pasta completely smothered in red (tomato) pasta sauce.
Normally, for quickness, he has a store-bought sauce. You know, the ones that you just have to stir through the pasta and then warm everything up? And, yeah, it smelt nice enough – I couldn’t taste it thanks to a bit of pesky gluten lurking in the ingredients – but it got me thinking; surely a basic tomato sauce wouldn’t take that long to whip up? I was sure I could create a basic tomato sauce recipe, that was quick enough to make on even the most rushed evenings.
To keep with the in-a-rush theme, I’ve only used basic cupboard essentials for this sauce. The only thing that you may struggle to find is stock powder, you can find this in most supermarkets – try the Free From aisle if it’s not with the other stocks. But if you can’t find it or have no idea what I’m going on about then you can just use a crumbled stock cube. It’s basically the same thing. 😊
From start to finish, this takes around 25 – 30 minutes, including prep time. I definitely think I’ve nailed the quick and easy recipe that I was aiming for! It’s also really cheap to make, so is also ideal if you’re on a budget. This really is a perfect example of a quick and easy fuss-free homemade meal. This also freezes really well so you can even make this in big batches and store it in the freezer for an even quicker weeknight meal. Just make sure you defrost thoroughly before reheating.
This isn’t just one for the kids either! I’ve had this over rice or smothered over GF pasta with a sprinkle of fresh basil… it’s absolutely delicious! Sometimes it really is best to keep it simple.
Rosie x

Prep Time | 2 minutes |
Cook Time | 15 minutes |
Passive Time | 10 minutes |
Servings |
servings
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- 1/2 Onion chopped into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
- 1 tin Tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons Passata
- 1 tablepoon Tomato Puree
- 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Stock Powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Ingredients
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- Place the onion in a pan with a little bit of water and fry until pale and translucent
- Add the garlic paste and stir together until a 'paste' is formed
- Add the tinned tomatoes, passata, tomato puree, brown sugar and stock powder and bring the mixture to the boil. If you want to add any extra additions to the sauce, this is the time to do it.
- Once boiled reduce to a simmer, and add the salt, pepper and dried oregano mixing through. Simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes before removing from the hob, tasting as you go to make sure that you've added enough seasoning
- Once everything's done, mix it all together with your favourite pasta for a delicious, quick and easy meal. Enjoy!
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