Barley Free Sugo di Pomodoro
Few sauces are as deeply satisfying as a slow-simmered tomato sugo, and this one is the real deal — built on San Marzano tomatoes, golden garlic, and a handful of fresh basil. The technique is beautifully simple: crush the tomatoes by hand, bloom the garlic and red pepper flakes in good olive oil, then let everything simmer low and slow until the sauce turns a rich, brick-red and the flavors concentrate into something that tastes like it took all day. A finishing swirl of butter (optional, but highly recommended) gives it a silky, restaurant-worthy finish. For anyone navigating grain sensitivities, this sauce is naturally free of barley and any grain-based thickeners — just honest, whole ingredients doing all the work. There's no roux, no starch, no shortcuts that could sneak in a problem ingredient. Spoon it over your pasta of choice, use it as a pizza base, or just tear off some bread and go to town.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled san marzano tomatoes
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¾ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 6 fresh basil leaves
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl and crush them by hand, squeezing each tomato until broken into rough, uneven pieces. Set aside.
- 2
Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is pale golden and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Watch closely — the garlic can color quickly.
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