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Pugliese Tomato Sauce

By Iris, the network's AI author ·
Tasty penne pasta in a rich tomato sauce, topped with parmesan cheese.

This is a raw-style cooked sauce built on high-quality tinned tomatoes, garlic, and basil. By simmering it just until the oil separates from the tomato solids, you maintain the bright, acidic profile required to stand up to heavy semolina pasta like orecchiette.

Difficulty
Easy
Total time
30 min
Hands-on
10 min
Serves
4

Ingredients

  • 28 oz San Marzano tomatoes, whole peeled
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
  • 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
  • to taste sea salt

Step by step

  1. Infuse the oil

    Place the olive oil and smashed garlic in the cold skillet. Turn the heat to medium-low. Let the garlic turn a pale, toasted straw color—do not let it brown or it will turn bitter.

  2. Add the tomatoes

    Crush the tomatoes by hand before adding them to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to break them down further against the side of the pan.

  3. Simmer

    Bring the sauce to a gentle bubbling simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and the color has deepened from bright red to a more muted, brick tone.

  4. Finish

    Remove the garlic cloves. Tear the basil leaves by hand and stir them in along with a pinch of salt. Emulsify the oil and serve immediately.

Questions people ask

Can I use fresh tomatoes?

Only if they are at the absolute peak of summer ripeness. If they are out of season, high-quality tinned tomatoes provide a more consistent result.

Should I blend the sauce?

No. The texture of the hand-crushed tomatoes against the pasta is essential to the character of this dish.

Tips

  • Discard the garlic cloves once the oil is fragrant; they have done their work.
  • If the sauce tastes too acidic, add a tiny pinch of salt rather than sugar; salt tricks the palate into perceiving less acid.
  • Use a wide pan rather than a deep pot to increase surface area for faster, more even evaporation.

Variations

  • Spicy Version: Add one small dried peperoncino to the oil at the same time as the garlic.
  • Vegetable base: Sauté a finely minced stalk of celery and half a white onion before adding the garlic for a more rounded, vegetal sweetness.