Dairy Free Sugo di Pomodoro
Few sauces are as deeply satisfying as a slow-simmered Italian tomato sauce built from nothing but honest, simple ingredients. This one starts with San Marzano tomatoes crushed by hand, which gives the finished sauce a rustic, uneven texture that clings beautifully to pasta. Garlic bloomed low and slow in good olive oil, a whisper of red pepper flakes, and a handful of torn fresh basil are all it takes to build something that tastes like it came from a Roman kitchen. The optional butter at the end adds a silky richness, but the sauce is completely gorgeous without it — making it naturally free of dairy when you simply leave that last step out. Simmering uncovered for the better part of half an hour deepens the color from bright red to a warm brick tone and concentrates every bit of flavor in the pan. It's the kind of foundational recipe you'll come back to again and again, whether you're tossing it with spaghetti, spooning it over polenta, or using it as a base for something more elaborate.
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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)
Can be omittedunsalted butter
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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