Quick and easy pasta sauces

[WindsorCat]

I have fussy eaters but they tolerate pasta with tomato sauce at friends' houses. I have little time today but want to make a super tasty pasta. They don't like chunky thinks in the sauce. How do I e.f. make an amazing tasting tomato sauce? Tinned or fresh tomatoes? What else goes in it to make it really tastty? One dc likes salmon, the other bacon.... I need something thaw works for all. SO I thought plain tomato sauce might work? Or pesto? But I don't have a food processor just a hand held blender.

M&S have pasta sauces in jars you could use which are organic and would save you some time!

Otherwise I'd do a good quality passatta (that has basics and garlic in it), add some garlic anyway and some dried basil/mixed herbs

Pasata (blended tomatoes - 55p in tesco) + stock + whatever seasoning you like.

I HATE lumps of tomatoes.

Oh and if it still tastes "tomatoey" you can add some lime juice and mix it in. I never have lime, but lemon works too!

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spaghetti-meatballs

I did this recipe at the weekend, made a massive batch of pasta sauce and froze 3 tubs full.

I thought that the 3 tablespoons of caster sugar was too much so I put 2 tablespoons in and honestly I still thought it was too sweet so I’d probably just do the 1 tablespoon

it doesn’t say to blend but I did with a hand blender as I don’t like lumps either.

I make a hidden veg pasta sauce - passata plus carrots, onions, peppers, and any left over veg you need to get rid of really. I put fresh tomatoes in yesterday’s plus a few stalks of celery.

Add seasonings, garlic (powder) and I use Italian seasoning too. Teaspoon sugar. Blitz it with your hand blender.

A super easy and tasty sauce; half a jar of pesto, a can of chopped tomatoes, blend with handheld blender until smooth! If you have time, you can fry onions with garlic before adding the pesto, stirring for five minutes, then blend with chopped tomatoes. Salt and pepper as desired! My favourite pesto for this is Tesco's own brand red pesto.

I make pasta sauce in a big batch. I fry an onion gently for 10 mins, add crushed garlic for a couple of mins then I add a can of cherry tomatoes and a can of good quality tinned chopped tomatoes. Sometimes just one can and then a good dollop of passata. Add salt pepper and a good pinch of sugar. Then I cook it on low with the lid mostly low for 30-45mins. Then blend. You can of course add some dried Italian herbs like oregano.

I've used this since Dd was a kid she hated lumps I also make my tomato sauce like you it's quick you can put it In everything.

This takes two seconds, and I guess a hand held blender would work, although I don't have one so not sure. Both my DDs wolf it down.
(I don't bother with the chilli unless I happen to have some, and just use dried basil, and cheddar rather than feta).

The best tinned tomatoes you can afford (I like Mutti). Lots of olive oil, garlic, couple of cans of tomatoes and some salt. Cook on a very low heat for at least an hour. No sugar required, it will be rich and sweet.

Sauce is an important part of the fast foods, add taste and make delecious.

Fry onion
Add loads of crushed garlic
Add lots of chopped bacon
Add chopped up chorizo sausage (skin removed)
Add 2 or 3 large chopped up carrots
Add 2 or 3 chopped up red yellow or orange peppers
Lid on and sauté for about 10 mins.
Add 4 or 5 tins chopped toms
Lid on and simmer low heat for 30 to 40 min

Heat off. Hand blender. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve on any pasta with grated cheese.

Freeze the rest for future meals.

It's far cheaper than shop bought and far tastier. My kids love it.

I used to do one with pasata, garlic, olive oil, tomato purée and lemon juice. Very simple and tastes lovely.
Also fab as a pizza base.
You can add a bit of paprika or chilli powder for an arrabita type sauce.

This is the chorizo I buy. Not the pre sliced stuff.

Ooh I make a good one with aubergines!

2 x aubergines, 2 onions, 2 peppers. Chop up into 2cm pieces, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 20 mins.

Once brown, take them out, and add 2 tins of chopped or plum tomatoes, 4 cloves of crushed garlic and 2 tins of water and 2 oxo cubes. Put back in the oven for another 20-30 mins. Or if you like really rich sauce, I leave mine in for an hour.

Take out, blitz with a hand stick blender.

Trust me, it's the best sauce ever!

Brown butter and sage. Two ingredients.

Oven roast tomatoes, red onion and garlic and once it's soft blend it. Best pasta sauce ever even my picky teens love it. I also add aubergine and courgette to mine and they don't even notice.

Finely diced chopped onion fried in olive oil, add tin of tomato purée fry for 30 seconds, add two teaspoons of dried Italian herbs, two tins of chopped tomatoes or equivalent Pasata. Simmer for an hour and a half. Divide and freeze.

When you reheat you can add what ever you want bacon and chilli/ prawns/ roasted veg....

That's my Italian mums recipe.

The best and easiest tomato sauce:

1x large tin of diced tomatos (sometimes i get the fire roasted type)
1x yellow onion
2 tbsp of butter
Salt

simmer for 2-3 hours. Now comes the interesting part. Take the onion and throw it away. Blend the remaining mixture. Done. The recipe is by Marcella Hazan and it's the best i've ever made.