homemade pasta sauce taste rubbish!

SilverFoxe

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/basictomatoandbasils_67840

I tend to use this recipe, lots of other great recipes here too. Bookmarked

Sharon87

I find the basics tomatoes rubbish. I always buy Napolina when they're on offer as you only need 1 tin as oppose to 2 of basics range, so it works out cheaper for me. Then I add tomato puree to bulk it up a bit. The sauce in expensive brands is much thicker, value brands are more like water.

Either that or buy some passata and add herbs.

I'm a big fan of garlic, so use a lot of garlic granules in my sauce, makes it taste lovely. Don't forget a pinch of salt as well, brings out the flavour.

boo1

I use a tin of tomatoes, tin of tom puree, squirt of tom ketchup and some oregano. I also crumble an oxo in when I dry fry mince and onion. Tastes nice, but tastes better if you make it the day before and leave it in the fridge!!!

Edindevon

Sharon87 wrote: »

I find the basics tomatoes rubbish. I always buy Napolina when they're on offer as you only need 1 tin as oppose to 2 of basics range, so it works out cheaper for me. Then I add tomato puree to bulk it up a bit. The sauce in expensive brands is much thicker, value brands are more like water.

1 100% agree with this. People who say there's no difference between Napolina and the value brands baffle me.

As a challenge, buy a tin of Co-op Simply Value Chopped Tomatoes and a can of Napolina Chopped Tomatoes and open the two tins. If you can't see the difference in colour, then I'd be amazed, as the Napolina is deep red while the Simply Value is really pale red. The difference in the texture is equally pronounced. At the end of the day you can get 4 cans of Napolina for £1.94 in Tesco, so it's only 16p a can more and easily worth it.

One thing I would say is that if the OP wants sauce that tastes like the Dolmio type stuff, then they're going to struggle. That's like trying to make home prepared chips that will taste like McDonald's fries.

Edindevon

Pink_Giraffe

I use:

Finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tins tomatoes
Squirt tomato puree
Mixed herbs, rosemary & basil
1 tbsp gravy granules

Gently fry onion and garlic in a little olive oil, add tomatoes and tomato puree, stir well and bring to the boil. Stir in herbs and gravy granules, reduce heat and simmer till thick.

I use cheap tinned tomatoes, I never have any problems with them.

Never added sugar or balsamic vinegar, may try one or both next time I make it though!

crumblepie

I use passata instead of tinned tomatoes as it makes a thicker sauce and don't have it on the hob simmering for hours. I also add a good glug of tomato ketchup which helps the flavour.

inspace

dont add sugar add cheap ketchup at the end near to serving - even the chefs do this on the quiet - .

nickyhutch

itsallinthemind wrote: »

I find you need one large onion diced tiny, 2tsp sugar, 2tsp balsamic, 2 cloves of fat garlic, 1/4-1/2 tsp dried chili flakes - per 3 cans of tomatoes.

I do onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil leaves (Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food). Gorgeous.

nickyhutch

SilverBird wrote: »

Can't see why you'd use balsamic vinegar or lemon juice when making home-made tomato sauce?

Because Jamie said

on-the-count-of-three

Edindevon wrote: »

1 100% agree with this. People who say there's no difference between Napolina and the value brands baffle me.

If you are eating as is..on toast for example, maybe. often though, by the time you have added onion, garlic etc etc & simmered, I would doubt there is little difference in the finished product.

To be honest though, I don't rate Napolina either, I find that bitter too...hence not really finding much of a difference in the finished product. I'm still looking for a quality tinned tomato.

nickyhutch wrote: »

Because Jamie said

Haha!
Must admit, his simple salad dressiing of just olive oil & a squirt of lemon works a treat.:)