Nitrate & Nitrite Free Pomarola Fresh Tomato Sauce
This is the kind of sauce that makes you question every jar you've ever opened. Ripe plum tomatoes are simmered low and slow with onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until they completely break down into something deeply savory and naturally sweet. A handful of fresh basil stirred in at the end keeps things bright, and passing the whole pot through a food mill gives you that silky, restaurant-quality finish. Because every ingredient here is whole and fresh, there's nothing hidden — no cured meats, no processed additives, none of the preservatives that make store-bought sauces a concern for anyone avoiding nitrates and nitrites. The small hit of sugar balances the tomatoes' acidity, and a finishing drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil rounds everything out beautifully. Use it on pasta, spoon it over braised meat, or freeze a batch for the weeks when you need a reliable, clean-label base in a hurry.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 3 lbs ripe plum tomatoes (about 10–12), roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 8 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- 1
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion is translucent, about 8–10 minutes.
- 2
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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