Vegan Tomato Sauce for Pasta and Pizza

Vegan Tomato Sauce for Pasta and Pizza

This is my go-to pasta sauce recipe for most pizza and pasta dishes.  It's easy to make, relatively quick, and has a lot of depth of flavour from the vinegar, which can often be lacking in vegan sauces.  

I usually make a gigantic batch of this (read: 2 kilos of canned tomato), and freeze it in individual sized portions.  It heats up nicely in the microwave or on the stove, and its really cost effective this way.  Plus, if I'm feeling lazy, pasta with homemade tomato sauce is only minutes away, and makes for a pretty decent lunch on its own!

The portions I've given are for a single meal, so just scale up if you'd prefer to make a huge batch - it will keep in the freezer for at least 6 months.

Vegan Tomato Sauce

Total time: 30 minutes

Serves: makes about 3 cups of sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 cup vegetable broth/boullion

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup red wine (optional)

1/2 tsp dry basil

1/4 tsp dry oregano

1/8 tsp dry thyme

1/8 tsp dry rosemary (or sub your favourite herbs for these - herbes de provence would do well)

 salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil - to fry in

In a large saucepan,  sauté the onions in olive oil until they begin to turn golden.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute - just until the garlic starts to carmelize.  Quickly add the tomatoes, boullion, red wine, sugar, and vinegar, and stir well.  Bring up to the boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes on low, stirring occasionally.  Blend with an immersion blender until smooth (or chunky, depending on how you like your sauce).  Add dried herbs and continue to simmer for 5 - 10 minutes, until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency.  Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper, if needed, before serving.