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weeknight tomato sauce
dinner

5-ingredient weeknight tomato sauce

This is my absolute favorite tomato sauce recipe and it only requires 5 ingredients and about 20 minutes!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 3 cups sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter divided
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes crushed well by hand
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • cooked spaghetti or bucatini

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, melt two tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes without allowing the garlic to brown (you may need to lower the heat). Add the crushed tomatoes and the juice to the pan. Add the oregano and crushed red pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining butter until the sauce is creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with pasta and top with parmesan and more crushed red pepper, if desired.

Notes

Use the best whole peeled tomatoes you can find and crush them by hand. You can substitute crushed tomatoes, but san marzano tomatoes crushed by hand are the best.