Quick and Flavorful Tomato Sauce

It was one of those moments. We were already hungry, and I was hoping to toss some sauce with veggies or pasta and call it dinner…then, the moment of panic creativity.  What do you mean we’re out of tomato sauce?  So it was about getting a full flavored sauce in a short amount of time.

I have more oregano that I know what to do with, and it’s taking over my herb bed, as you can see. Oregano is something I tend to use as one of the supporting players rather than a main flavor. Generally my sauces are heavy on basil, so this was a deviation from standard operating procedure.

I’d like to use oregano more, because it’s quite good for you! It’s antinflammatory, antibacterial, a good source of antioxidants, and has a lot of fiber, too.

And the result? A bold, chunky, satisfying sauce that came together in maybe 20 minutes. DH had the sauce on pasta, we had turkey cutlets poached in the sauce, I had some with steamed broccoli and handful of pine nuts, which was a perfect lunch.  Not bad for minimal effort.

I love Eden brand tomatoes because the ingredients are…organic tomatoes. I didn’t even miss the citric acid, additives and other fillers. Works for me! I used crushed and diced because I wanted a hearty, chunky sauce. If you don’t, adjust accordingly!

You could also use any mild onion or shallots in place of the spring onions, but I currently have an overabundance of spring onions and need ways to use them up.

2 spring onions, (green parts discarded) chopped
1 small garlic bulb, minced (or 3/4 a big bulb)
1 sprig rosemary
1/2 cup of broth or white wine
28 oz of crushed tomatoes
14 oz of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of loosely packed oregano
1/2 cup of Kalamata* olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1-2 Tablespoons agave nectar or sugar, or a pinch of stevia
Basil to sprinkle on top
Salt and pepper to taste
Parm cheese and/or pinenuts, optional but tasty

* for my vinegar avoiding comrades, Trader Joe’s sells vinegar free Kalamatas, or use a brine cured olive for a different, but yummy, flavor.

Brown the spring onions with a pinch of salt and a little oil over med-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, stirring for a minute until golden. Add rosemary leaves from stem. Add broth and deglaze. Allow to reduce for a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes to let flavors meld.

Enjoy!

This is my entry to this week’s edition of Weekend Herb Blogging. WHB is brainchild of Kalyn’s Kitchen. Our kind host this week is Maninas of Maninas: Food Matters. This is my first time visiting her site, and she has some lovely looking East Indian dishes.

About Cheryl Harris

Life played a funny trick on me. I've studied nutrition for years, and much to my surprise, found out that I could manage many of my health issues via diet. I've been GF for years, and I've got a bunch of allergies and sensitivities. But it definitely doesn't keep me from cooking, baking and enjoying my food. Thanks for stopping by.
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7 Responses to Quick and Flavorful Tomato Sauce

  1. Kalyn says:

    Sounds very tasty. I love fresh oregano, and it goes especially well with thomatoes.

  2. Kay says:

    Eden tomatoes with NO added ingredients?! I’ll have to fine me some of those!

    After a very slow start to spring, our weather moved fast forward to August-like conditions. My tomato plants didn’t grow much at all for the first six weeks they were outdoors. Now that highs are pushing 90 and nights are warm, they double in size every couple of days. Yahooey!

    I try to dry my oregano in the spring for use year round. If I harvest it later it gets thick and chewy.

    Your sauce looks yummy!

  3. Thanks, Kalyn, I look forward to playing more with Oregano.

    Kay, Eden is wonderful! But you’re right, there’s nothing better than your OWN tomatoes.

  4. Pingback: WHB - The Round-up! « Maninas: Food Matters

  5. maninas says:

    This is a great sauce, thanks for a great WHB entry! 😀

  6. Vegan Dishes says:

    I found your blog via Google while searching for vegan dishes and your post regarding Quick and Flavorful Tomato Sauce looks very interesting to me. I am very impressed with your site. The quality of the design and content makes it a real winner! Thanks again for a great site and a great resource on the net.

  7. yahoo! I love positive feedback. =)

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