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Home » Recipes » Italian

Roman Inspired Tomato Sauce

By Lauren | Updated: Jun 21, 2024 | Published: Aug 10, 2014 | Leave a Comment

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We wanted to eat spaghetti and tomato sauce made from scratch, but we didn’t want to make spaghetti and tomato sauce from scratch. While we love making an afternoon of cooking together, this past Friday we had the kind of week where we wanted to skip right to the eating. So we took some inspiration from a cooking class we had in Rome and made this Roman Inspired Tomato Sauce. You still get the made-from-scratch fresh taste, but with a lot less work.

The sweetness from the cherry tomatoes adds all the flavor that you need in this sauce. Each time that you bite into one of the cherry tomatoes, you’ll taste the sweetness of the juices as it combines with the rest of the sauce in your mouth. It’s simple, yet fresh and tastes oh-so-much better than your standard jarred tomato sauce. We used an organic jar of crushed tomatoes, but that’s just because the regular stuff is pretty hard to find here in Spain.

It’s a great shortcut, though it's not to diminish the wonders of a tomato sauce made from scratch. I’ll pass along what I learned from our cooking class in Rome taught by the impressive, Federico (who has cooked for some pretty high-ups in the Italian government!).

For another cherry tomato based sauce, try this Pasta with Pancetta and Peas.

Roman Inspired Tomato Sauce

This tomato sauce is inspired by a cooking class that we took in Rome. It takes a few simple ingredients like canned tomatoes, fresh cherry tomatoes, and garlic and makes into an easy and delicious meal, especially when topped with some diced fresh mozzarella.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Author Lauren Skardal
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 636 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt to taste
  • 1 lb spaghetti, cooked until al dente
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
  • fresh basil leaves, optional

Instructions
 

  • Add oil and the minced garlic to a pan on medium-low heat. After two minutes add the jar of crushed tomatoes and stir occasionally.
  • Slice each of the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise, and place aside. Don’t crush the tomatoes as you slice them, the idea is to keep all of the juices in.
  • Drizzle a pan with oil and place on medium-high heat. Place the cherry tomatoes face down on the pan. Let cook for about 6-8 minutes. It should be hot enough to seal off the bottom of the cherry tomatoes (but not burn), keeping the juices inside. Take off the heat before the cherry tomatoes become too soft.
  • Add the cherry tomatoes to the crushed tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
  • Lastly, add the cooked spaghetti to the pan with the sauce while on medium-low heat to finish the pasta in the sauce and warm through for 1 minute.
  • Serve topped with fresh mozzarella and basil.

Nutrition

Calories: 636kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 818mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1541IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 339mg | Iron: 3mg
Have you tried this recipe? Leave a comment below and share a photo on instagram and tag @elleandpear or #elleandpear. I'd absolutely love to hear from you and see what you're making!

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Lauren sitting at table in Tuscany with a glass of wine, charcuterie and rolling green hills and winery in the background.

I'm Lauren, I've worked in Finance, earned an MBA, and lived and traveled throughout Europe and the US. I love to cook and bake, and bring our family together around the table. Recipes shared here are real family recipes with real fresh ingredients inspired by our travels.

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