A traditional Italian tomato sauce flavored with olive oil, garlic, fresh basil and delicious tomatoes. This simple, yet flavorful pomodoro sauce is perfect for homemade pizzas, pastas and more!
What is Sugo di Pomodoro (or Pomodoro sauce)?
In Italian, “sugo” means “sauce” and “pomodoro” means “tomato”. Sugo di Pomodoro is a simple tomato sauce that delivers an amazingly delicious flavor. It’s traditionally made from whole tomatoes (see section below for the best tomatoes to use), onion, garlic, basil and salt.
Sugo di Pomodoro is slowly simmered over low heat and then pureed to make a smooth Italian tomato sauce. It’s perfect for tossing with pasta or topping your homemade pizza. In fact, it’s my favorite sauce for my SOURDOUGH PIZZAS! Dip your garlic bread, Parmesan Seasoned Breadsticks or Focaccia in it. As soon as you taste it, you’ll be looking for any excuse you can to enjoy this flavorful Pomodoro sauce.
Ingredients in Pomodoro Sauce
The ingredient list is simple, but if you use quality products it makes all the difference.
- Tomatoes – Since this homemade tomato sauce is made of mostly tomatoes, it’s no surprise that this is the most important ingredient. You can use either fresh or canned tomatoes (my preference), but what you choose can give you quite different results. More on tomatoes below.
- Onions – Using a sweet onion balances nicely with the flavor of the tomatoes. They are larger than yellow onions and have a light skin. Some sweet onion varieties are Walla Walla, Vidalia, Texas Sweets and Maui. Just as they sound, they have a sweet flavor because of their higher sugar content. They are great for sauteing and caramelize nicely. Yellow onions could be substituted here if needed.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Use a high quality olive oil that will give your sauce a rich, buttery flavor. My most favorite olive oil for sauteing is this Balanced Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the Queen Creek Olive Mill (a local olive mill here in Arizona).
- Fresh Basil – Using fresh basil gives this Italian tomato sauce the perfect flavor. There’s nothing like fresh basil! Wash and pat dry whole basil leaves and then roughly chop them. We’ll blend these up with the sauce, but for extra basil flavor, add more on top when serving.
- Fine Seat Salt – Salt enhances the flavor of all the ingredients. I love to use Redmond’s Real fine sea salt for its flavor and variety of trace minerals.
Using a quality tomato for this recipe will make all the difference. The tomato is the star of the show and using the right type of tomato will make the most delicious Italian tomato sauce. You can use either fresh or canned tomatoes. If you are using fresh, use them when in they are in season for the best flavor: San Marzano and Roma tomatoes are great. Or you can plant your own authentic Italian tomatoes – Costoluto Fiorentino tomatoes are incredible (click here to get your own seeds). If you are using canned tomatoes, make sure you use whole tomatoes that are DOP certified. This means they come directly from Italy, ensuring you’ll get quality tomatoes. I love to use this Cento brand of San Marzano tomatoes that I can find at my local Walmart. 
How to make Sugo di Pomodoro
- Heat a deep pan on medium heat (I use my large Staub dutch oven for this recipe). Drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of the hot pan and add the diced onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and just starting to brown.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the minced garlic, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and stir together. Simmer the mixture on low for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will begin to thicken as the liquid cooks off. Once the sauce is thickened and the tomatoes are soft, turn off the heat and add the chopped basil and salt to taste.
- Blend the sauce with an immersion blender, food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Or leave a bit chunky if you prefer.
What recipes do I make with my Sugo di Pomodoro sauce?
Traditionally Sugo di Pomodoro sauce is used as a simple and authentic way to top pasta, but I love to use it in so many other ways too!
- Sourdough Pizza
- Pizza Rollups
- Focaccia
- Parmesan Seasoned Breadsticks
How to store pomodoro sauce
This sauce is such a staple in my kitchen! Keep it on hand for a quick and delicious option any time! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage you can freeze the tomato sauce for several months. When reheating frozen tomato sauce, thaw the frozen sauce in the refrigerator overnight. Heat it in a saucepan on low heat until warmed up. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of warm water to thin it as desired.
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Sugo di Pomodoro (Italian tomato sauce)
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 28 ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes whole & peeled (*see note)
- 6-7 large leaves fresh basil chopped
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a deep pan on medium heat (I like to use my large Staub dutch oven for this recipe). Drizzle the olive oil and add the diced onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and just starting to brown.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the minced garlic, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and stir together. Simmer the mixture on low for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will begin to thicken as the liquid cooks off. Once the sauce is thickened and the tomatoes are soft, turn off the heat and add the chopped basil and salt to taste.
- Blend the sauce with an immersion blender, food processor or blender. Blend until smooth or leave a bit chunky if you prefer. Add to your favorite recipe. Top with additional fresh basil or other seasonings as desired.
- Allow sauce to cool before storing in the refrigerator. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and in the freezer for several months.