One of the only ways we can have a homemade dinner on the table most nights is by having a well-stocked freezer. I have mentioned it before, and plan to do a series of posts more about it soon, but freezer cooking has become a necessity in our house. Because I didn’t want to eat heavy, casserole-based dishes that I normally associated with freezer meals for every meal, I had to adapt how we did pre-made frozen foods when I first started medical school.
This sauce is one that I always, and I really do mean always, have on hand. Even after a month in the freezer, this tomato basil sauce tastes fresh and light. I use it for pasta, pizza, or in any recipe I need a tomato-based sauce for.
Since there are so few ingredients, be sure to go for quality on this one. The canned tomatoes you choose are especially important. I don’t think San Marzano’s are vital all the time, but for this recipe, it will make all the difference.
- 4 28-oz cans whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice
- 16 large garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 to 1½ cups packed basil leaves, torn
- Salt, to taste
- Pulse tomatoes with juice in a blender briefly to make a chunky puree.
- Cook garlic in oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat until fragrant and pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add tomato puree, basil, and a little salt. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced, about 60-90 minutes. Season with additional salt if needed and cool.
- Divide sauce and portion into quart size freezer bags (I like doing 1 cup per bag). Freeze flat. Remove from freezer and defrost in fridge when ready to use.
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