Basic tomato and basil sauce for pasta

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
• ¼ - ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 large handful basil leaves, torn into small pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Grated parmesan cheese, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently cook the onion and garlic until softened. Stir in the tomatoes, chilli flakes, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook slowly for 45 minutes-1 hour. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. This can be left chunky or blended in a food processor for a smooth sauce.

2. Serve spooned over cooked pasta with plenty of parmesan cheese.

Tips

Substitute the following as you prefer:
- 250g/9oz tub of mascarpone or cream cheese, either alone or with strips of smoked salmon
- chopped black olives and marinated artichokes
- fried bacon and mushrooms
- prawns, capers and chopped parsley
- chopped chicken, red onion and red peppers, fried in olive oil
- fried slices of chorizo sausage, chopped black olives and pieces of mozzarella cheese