homemade pasta sauce taste rubbish!

Sharon87

I found the trick to using basics tomatoes (even though in my opinion, they taste a bit rubbish now), is to drain most of the liquid (all from 1 tin if using 2 tins for the sauce), otherwise it'll be simmering for ages to thicken up - even if you add puree/ketchup. And heating it costs more money.

I do like the Napolina as the sauce is thicker, it's not like water. I understand people preferring passata though, I prefer it, but usually comes in massive jars. I only buy Napolina on offer though, as then it's less than 50p a tin, compared to about 35p Sainsbury basics (which are now not in tins, but in unrecyclable packages grr). That's only a difference of 15p and I use only one tin of Napolina as appose to 2 basics, so it costs a lot less now and tastes better.

Although the taste does depend on what herbs you put in.

ixia

I use onions, garlic tinned toms, tomato puree, oregano, sugar, basil and a few bay leaves

nickyhutch

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

With tomatoes, wine yes - cream no!

Cream - yes! Or Boursin! Only for a creamy tomato sauce, though, not for a bolognese or napolitana base.

JoJoB

I'm another who adds a little ketchup at the end instead of sugar to counteract acidity.

My basic recipe is half a chopped onion, clove of garlic fried until softened.
Add tomatoes and dried mixed herbs (I use lots, about 2 tbsp)
Reduce for ages!
Add tablespoon of ketchup/brown sugar

For variation a tin of tuna mixed in at the end makes a change.

stylus360

Only use Napolina from Tesco or Cirio from Morrisons are good and cheap.

I never buy crappy ready made sauces now.

Last night had -

small Onion very finely chopped
Garlic grated 2 cloves
Chorizo chopped
Tin cirio toms
brown sugar (a must !!)
black pepper
Italian seasoning (touch)

reduce and add some water from the pasta, the a squirt of tom puree.

Fresh and lovely.

SonjaLiK

I second the you get what you pay for opinion and also the sugar.
It is a well know secret that you always have to put a pinch of salt and sugar in any tomato based recipe.

I only ever use fresh garlic though, can't stand granules.
I use dried herbs, for basic tom sauce I use oregano and basil, if I am making more of a salsa type of thing with different veg in and/or tuna, then I add marjoram and thyme too.
I don't use passata unless I need a large quantity of sauce (for pizza or similar), normally I just use double concentrate.

The only cheaper tin than Napolina that I buy is Lidl's. You do need a bit more spice to make it up but if Napolina is not on offer and we are out, I will settle for Lidl's.

rabidbun

Mine is usually:

a tin of tomatoes (or passata)
four garlic cloves (chopped to taste)
one onion and olive oil
two teaspoons of tomato puree or pesto or sundried tomato paste (or chopped sundried tomatoes from oil or dried, whichever is cheaper at the time)
a teaspoon of sugar or dash of balsamic to sweeten
a goodly amount of black pepper/pinch of salt to taste

1. Fry the chopped onion in olive oil (and chopped chorizo/chopped bacon if using) for five minutes on a very low heat. Stir and add more oil if it starts to stick. The onion should start to look see-through after this time.
2. Add the chopped garlic and fry for two or three more minutes on the low heat. It should not brown.
3. Stir in the tin of tomatoes, the puree/pesto/paste and the S&P and simmer the sauce on low ish heat (enough to keep it bubbling) until it starts to thicken and the bits of tinned tomato break up a bit. Stir every so often. Add any dried herbs for the last couple of minutes of simmering the sauce.
4. Taste the sauce and add enough balsamic and/or sugar to make it sweet enough for what you want. If you want a smoother sauce, I sometimes press it (to squish in the tomato bits) with a potato masher. :OD

Other variations I use are a chopped chilli in at the same time as the garlic (or some chilli powder when the tomato is added), or, if I am making a tuna pasta with a tin of tuna, a couple of anchovies chopped finely (anchovies in with the garlic and tuna with the tomatoes). A pinch of chilli powder can also make the tomatoes taste more "tomato-y".

I don't usually bother with dried herbs (I use fresh/frozen from pots in the garden if I manage to grow them over summer), but if I do I put them in towards the end as I find that boiling them with the sauce for more than five minutes or so can make them bitter. Another thing that could make the sauce bitter is frying the garlic for too long - I usually add it for no more than five minutes after the onions have fried slowly and become seethrough/soft, and make sure that it doesn't brown (if it looks like it might, I dump the tomatoes in fast).

I go for Heinz tomatoes when I can as I find they're sweeter with a nice thick sauce. Only real difference I have found with most types though are that some are a bit thinner needing more simmering down, and others can be more acidic and need more sugar/balsamic. I buy depending on offer though (and have a scary amount of tomato tins below the stairs at the moment ).

naturallygiftedtu

please tell recipe also, how to make it..

reehsetin

Edindevon wrote: »

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

There's definitely a difference, I keep Napolina for pasta sauces but couldn't see much of a difference in curries so use not basic but other slightly cheaper toms.

blunther

Is it just me that uses two bulbs of garlic then....?