Elevate Your Cooking with Tomato-Based Sauces

Everyone has their go-to sauces that add flavor and excitement to their meals. A well-crafted sauce can transform simple foods like chicken, omelets, or pasta into something extraordinary. And with just a few tweaks, you can put a fresh spin on your classic favorites.

Let’s start with tomato sauce—an essential in many cuisines, from Italian to Mexican. But did you know that with a few simple changes, you can create unique variations with global influences? Tomatoes are a powerhouse FoodTrient, packed with lycopene, a potent antioxidant in the carotenoid family that also includes beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin—all of which are essential for eye health.

Research continues to highlight the health benefits of lycopene and other compounds in tomatoes. Lycopene has been linked to cardiovascular health, as it helps reduce oxidative stress and support healthy blood pressure levels. Some studies also suggest that lycopene, when consumed with healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, or avocados, may enhance nutrient absorption and promote cellular health.

Tomatoes are also a great choice for blood sugar management, thanks to their low glycemic index. A one-cup serving of raw tomatoes provides nearly 33% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, along with essential nutrients like biotin, vitamin K (15%), potassium, manganese, and vitamin A.

With so many health benefits and endless ways to customize tomato sauce, it’s easy to make it a staple in your kitchen. Whether you’re adding roasted garlic, smoky spices, or fresh herbs, a well-crafted sauce can elevate your meals while nourishing your body.

To DIY or Not To DIY?

You can make your own tomato sauce from scratch (see below), but there are many high-quality store-bought options that you can customize. Look for low-sodium or organic varieties. Muir Glen, Bertolli, EarthPure® Organic Tomato Sauce, and Trader Joe’s offer great pre-made sauces that serve as a solid base, giving you more time and energy to get creative.

Homemade Tomato Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes & Fresh Herbs

Ingredients:

3 lbs. ripe fresh tomatoes (Roma, San Marzano, or heirloom, organic if possible)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp sugar (optional, balances acidity)
1 tbsp tomato paste (optional, adds depth)
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)

Instructions:

Prepare the Tomatoes:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water.
2. Score a small “X” on the bottom of each tomato.
3. Drop tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer to ice water.
4. Peel off the skins, remove cores, and dice or blend into a chunky purée.

Sauté Aromatics:

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onion and sauté until soft (about 4-5 minutes).
3. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Cook the Sauce:

1. Add the fresh tomato purée, salt, pepper, sugar, and tomato paste (if using).
2. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat and let it cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add Fresh Herbs:

1. In the last 5-10 minutes, stir in fresh oregano, basil, and parsley.
2. Taste and adjust seasoning.
3. Blend (Optional):
4. For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender or regular blender.
5. For a chunkier sauce, leave it as is.

Serve & Store:

• Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

You can add a lot of excitement and flavor with these saucy international recipes:

Tomato Sauce Rustica

These days you can get excellent fresh tomatoes all year round. They’re grown in greenhouses throughout North America from Mexico to Canada. This chunky sauce is excellent on pasta, chicken or fish. You’re also getting a healthy dose of vegetables and fiber in this recipe.

Ingredients

Serves 4

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. sugar plum or heirloom cherry tomatoes, each halved
1 small, sweet onion diced into 1-inch pieces
12 fresh mushrooms, white or cremini, sliced about ¼” thick
4 garlic cloves, minced
A pinch of red pepper flakes
1½ cups canned or jarred tomato sauce (organic preferred)
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
Fresh black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat; place the onions and sauté until they become translucent.
2. Add the tomatoes and continue to sauté until they start to break down, about 6 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms and stir; continue to cook for about a minute.
4. Add in the tomato sauce, red pepper flakes, garlic and oregano; simmer for about 5-10 minutes; add fresh black pepper to taste.
5. At the last minute, add the fresh basil leaves and stir.

Note: Tomatoes by their nature have a fair amount of salt and canned tomatoes even more so, so you may not need to add salt.

Aztec Tomato Sauce

By switching just a few ingredients you have a gently spicy sauce that’s great for topping burritos, enchiladas or tamales. Also great on chicken or fish.

Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, minced.
1 Tbsp. olive oil.
1 ½  cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3 cups canned tomato sauce (organic preferred)
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs. chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped
½ tsp. ground oregano
1 tsp. Mexican hot chili powder (or more to taste)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a 4-qt. saucepan; sauté the garlic for about 30 seconds
2. Add the broth, the tomato sauce and stir
3. Add in the vinegar, chilies and spices and stir; simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes

Note: This sauce is also good for dipping chips and as a topping for huevos rancheros.

Marrakesh-Spiced Tomato Sauce

The sweet/savory spice blend gives an exotic flavor to the tomato sauce that’s delicious on lamb, poultry and vegetables like carrots and cauliflower. The cinnamon in this recipe is an excellent anti-oxidant.

Ingredients
1 16 oz. can diced organic tomatoes, drained
1 16 oz. can tomato sauce

1 tsp. each:

• Ground cinnamon
• Ground cumin
• Ground coriander seed

1/2 tsp each:

• Ground cayenne pepper
• Ground cloves

Directions

1. In a 4-qt. saucepan, gently heat the diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce.
2. Add in the spices and stir; simmer for about 10 minutes.

Note: Use the sauce to pour over baked chicken, or to stew vegetables or chickpeas. Also delicious poured over cous-cous.

Tikka Masala Sauce

Indian food is having a moment! It doesn’t have to be overly spicy or complicated. This recipe usually calls for heavy cream, but we’ve replaced it with full-fat Greek yogurt. You can find amchur (dried mango powder) on Amazon and even Wal-Mart, depending on where you live.

Ingredients

Serves 4

3 cups canned or jarred tomato sauce (organic preferred)
½ cup water
1 Tbsp. cumin seeds, ground
2 tsp. amchur powder
¼ tsp. Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp. Hungarian or Spanish paprika
1 ½ Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. paprika or cayenne pepper (for more heat)
1/3 cup full fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp. honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
Additional salt to taste

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbs. butter over medium heat in a large, deep skillet; add the spices—ground cumin, amchur powder, paprika (or cayenne) and salt and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
2. Add minced garlic, honey, and tomato sauce with 1/2 cup of water; bring to boil and simmer for 6-7 minutes on medium-low heat.
3. Add the Greek yogurt and remaining 1/2 Tbs. butter; mix well; heat the sauce for 1 minute while mixing the ingredients well.
4. Taste and adjust the salt; remove from heat.

Note: Serve with grilled chicken or make a vegetarian stew with garbanzo beans, peas, carrots, chunks of potato and cauliflower.

Shakshuka

This dish will blow your guests away at brunch! It’s an Israeli-by-way-of-Tunisia tomato-pepper stew with poached eggs. You can forgo the eggs and use the sauce with other proteins, like chicken or peeled shrimp. With the eggs, tomatoes and vegetables, this is a protein and vitamin packed FoodTrients-rich dish that’s relatively low in calories.

Ingredients

Serves 6

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. harissa (a canned or jarred hot sauce found in Middle-Eastern markets. We found it at Trader Joe’s and on Amazon)
4 cups ripe diced tomatoes, or 2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes
1 tsp. mild chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Spanish or Hungarian paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste—it’s hot!
1 tsp. honey (optional, to taste)
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 eggs
2 Tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a deep, large skillet on medium; add the chopped onion, sauté several minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.
2. Add the bell pepper; sauté for about 5 minutes until softened.
3. Add tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan and stir; add the harissa, spices and honey, stir and simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until it starts to reduce.
4. Taste the mixture and adjust the spices to your preference; add salt and pepper to taste, more honey or more cayenne pepper for a spicier sauce.
5. Make 6 indentations in the sauce, evenly spaced; crack the eggs, one at a time, directly into the dips in the sauce. Place 5 eggs around the outer edge and 1 in the center. The eggs will cook “over easy” on top of the tomato/pepper sauce.
6. Cover the pan; simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked and the sauce has been reduced.
7. Garnish with the parsley.

Colonel Wu’s Tomato Sauce

People don’t generally associate tomato sauce with Chinese cuisine. If General Tsao can have a sweet/spicy sauce, Colonel Wu can have her own tangy tomato sauce with Asian flair. (Just FYI: Lieutenant Colonel ChiaFei Vivien Wu is the Commander of the 306th Operations Support Squadron, 306th Flying Training Group, 12th Flying Training Wing, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado.)

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large red onion or 4 shallots, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 small red chilies, de-seeded and sliced 
1 cup of ketchup
¼ cup chili sauce
1 tsp. seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. light soy sauce
½ cup water
1 tsp. sugar
2 fresh tomatoes, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet; stir-fry the shallots (or red onion), chilies and tomato wedges until the shallots (or red onions) are softened.
2. Add the garlic and stir fry another 30 seconds.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer with lid on for about 5 minutes, until the sauce reduces a bit to a thicker consistency.

Note: Serve over pork chops, chicken or shrimp.