Provencale Tomato Sauce

Mediterranean cuisine. Provencal sauce of ripe tomatoes, olive oil and basil and ingredients

If you think the best and only tomato sauce comes from Italy, think again! This Provencal Sauce is extra-special because it hails from Provence in southeastern France. Soak up the Mediterranean with every bite!

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 175kcal

Author Leah Johnson

Equipment

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds ripe Roma tomatoes (about 1 kg)
5 tablespoons olive oil (75ml)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
½ bunch Italian parsley, washed and chopped
¼ cup water (60 ml)
1 medium onion, halved and sliced into ¼” slices
1 large sprig of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf, dry
2 small cans diced tomatoes, including liquid (822 g)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (or to taste)

Instructions

Wash the tomatoes, then seed and quarter them.
Heat the olive oil in a large shallow pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and parsley and sauté for 1 minute.
Deglaze the pan with the water, then add the Roma tomatoes, onion, thyme, and bay leaf. Mix well.
Turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for ½ hour.
Stir in the canned diced tomatoes, season to taste with salt and pepper, add the sugar, then simmer for another ½ hour.
Remove the pan from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired. Serve hot or let the sauce cool completely and whizz in a blender to remove any lumps.

Notes

Recipe Tips

Add 1 tablespoon of capers, ¼ cup black olives, ¼ cup white wine, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, or additional herbs and spices such as a couple of leaves of fresh basil or a sprig of fresh rosemary if you wish. Some cooks even add a little (½ teaspoon) food-grade lavender, too, for which Provence is justly famous. Get creative!
If you would like a slightly thicker sauce, add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste in the last 15 minutes of cooking.
Make a big batch in August and use the freshest, ripest tomatoes you can find from the farmer’s market or your own garden. The flavor will be out of this world! Then portion it out and freeze to use throughout the year.
We recommend using a wide, shallow skillet to prepare this tomato sauce.
Use this sauce as a quick and easy appetizer by setting out a shallow bowl of sauce and some crusty bread and raw veggies for dipping.
It’s all preference–but the ingredients in this sauce can be blended to create a sauce that is less chunky. Either way, it’s delicious and all goes to the same place!

Storage: You may store this sauce in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. We recommend portioning the sauce before freezing it so you take out of the freezer only what you need that day.

★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition