My dad recently purchased a couple of second-hand copies of Jamie Oliver’s first two books. Although I haven’t followed any recipes to their exact specifications I will have to note, in a few of my future posts, that he has provided me with a little inspiration and culinary guidance. As you have probably guessed this is one such recipe. I get the feeling that there are a couple of fairly common mistakes people tend to make when cooking their own tomato sauce, mistakes I shall attempt to rectify. Firstly, one must remember that chopped tomatoes are entirely useless and that peeled plum tomatoes are simply the only way to go. Secondly, one must cook a tomato sauce for at least an hour in order to remove any bitterness from the seeds. In fact, some Italian chefs cook theirs for up to three hours!

This sauce is being written-up as a stand-alone recipe because it can be used for such a wide variety of dishes. It could be used to top a pizza; as a simple pasta sauce; as part of a simple spaghetti Bolognese; or as part of a meatball dish. It can also be made in advance and frozen, or kept in the fridge for up to a week. If this is the plan, feel free to double the ingredients and make a large batch.

Basic Tomato Sauce {recipe}

Makes about 500ml

Ingredients:

• 1 clove of garlic, mashed

• Olive oil

• 2 x 400g tin of peeled plum tomatoes

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• Salt and Pepper

• ½ tbsp red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

• More olive oil

Method:

1. Briefly fry off the garlic in a good slug of olive oil. Add the tomatoes and oregano and simmer – take care not break up the tomatoes. After an hour or two has passed break up the tomatoes, add the vinegar, seasoning and olive oil and cook for a further 5 minutes. If you like, this can be left to cool and be used as it is, or you could blend it for a smoother finish.

Cost: As one might imagine the price of this tomato sauce comes in at an incredibly reasonable price – around 75p. It is also better than those available in the supermarkets, which generally cost between £1.50 and £2.00, for the same quantity.