I had some very ripe tomatoes in my kitchen that were in desperate need of being used. Ripe tomatoes are great for sauces, so I decided to put together this tomato and basil sauce, which is great on it’s own with pasta or as a base sauce for bolognese, chilli etc
![DSC_0132 DSC_0132](https://www.slimmingeats.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DSC_0132.jpg)
Tomato and Basil Sauce
Slimming Eats Recipe
Makes a 4 person serving of sauce
Ingredients
- approx 7 large ripe tomatoes (I used tomatoes on the vine)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- salt and black pepper
- handful of basil leaves
- splash of balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
Method
Score the top of the tomatoes
![DSC_1243 DSC_1243](https://www.slimmingeats.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DSC_1243.jpg)
Drop into a saucepan of boiling hot water, parboil for a few mins just until skin is softened and comes away easily. Peel off skins.
![DSC_1263 DSC_1263](https://www.slimmingeats.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DSC_1263.jpg)
Remove as much of the seeds as you can and finely chop flesh of tomatoes.
Drizzle a frying pan over a medium high heat with the olive oil.
Add the onion, celery and garlic and fry until softened
![DSC_1250 DSC_1250](https://www.slimmingeats.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DSC_1250.jpg)
Add the tomatoes and fry for a further few mins, breaking up any big pieces of tomato with the back of the a wooden spoon.
![DSC_1279 DSC_1279](https://www.slimmingeats.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DSC_1279.jpg)
Add some torn up basil leaves, balsamic vinegar and a little salt and black pepper and simmer on low for approx 45mins-1 hour, until tomatoes have cooked down to a deeper red colour.
![DSC_0030 DSC_0030](https://www.slimmingeats.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DSC_0030.jpg)
You can add a little stock if you prefer a more watery sauce, but I love the thickness and flavour of this sauce just as it is.
This sauce is great served over pasta, or meats and is great as a base sauce for bolognese, chill etc.
![DSC_0143 DSC_0143](https://www.slimmingeats.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DSC_0143.jpg)
The recipe above has been calculated for Slimming, however for those of you following the Weight Watchers plan or another calorie controlled type diet. Below is the approx nutritional information:
Approx NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION | |
1 serving | |
Calories |
67 |
Fat |
2.4g |
Saturated Fat |
0g |
Total Carbohydrate |
11.4g |
Dietary Fibre |
2.6g |
Sugars |
5.4g |
Protein |
2.5g |
Leave a Reply