VeganItalian-Australian cuisine Main Course

Italian-Australian Tomato Passata Day Sauce

Name: Italian-Australian Tomato Passata Day Sauce
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian-Australian
Ingredients: 2.5 kg roma tomatoes; 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 1 unit brown onion; 4 unit Garlic cloves; 1 bunch fresh basil sprigs; 1.5 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.5 tsp cracked black pepper; 1 tsp caster sugar; 0.5 tsp citric acid

Rich, aromatic Italian-Australian tomato sauce made from scratch with summer Roma tomatoes, fragrant basil, and extra virgin olive oil.

🇦🇺Australia· Australian Capital Territory

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 90 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 145 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

2½ kg roma tomatoes — ripe, firm, and unblemished
60 ml Extra virgin olive oil — good quality Australian or Italian
1 unit brown onion — finely diced
4 unit Garlic cloves — thinly sliced
1 bunch fresh basil sprigs — leaves picked and washed
1½ tsp Fine sea salt — adjust to taste
½ tsp cracked black pepper — freshly ground
1 tsp caster sugar — to balance tomato acidity if needed
½ tsp citric acid — or 1 tbsp bottled lemon juice for safe preserving acidity

Equipment

•Large stockpot
•Food mill or fine mouli sieve
•Slotted spoon
•Ladle
•Sterilised glass preserving bottles

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 145 kcal
fat: 9 g
carbs: 14 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 3 g
calories: 145 kcal

Instructions

1
Wash the tomatoes and score a shallow cross in the skin at the base of each.
2
Plunge the tomatoes into a large pot of boiling water for two minutes until skins begin to split.
3
Transfer the blanched tomatoes to cold water with a slotted spoon and peel away the skins.
4
Process the tomato flesh through a food mill or coarse sieve to discard seeds and extract smooth pulp.
5
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-based stockpot over gentle medium heat.
6
Add the diced onion and sliced garlic, cooking for five minutes until soft and translucent without browning.
7
Pour the fresh tomato puree into the pot and stir in the salt, pepper, sugar, and citric acid.
8
Simmer uncovered over low heat for forty minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce thickens and turns deep red.
9
Tear in the fresh basil leaves during the final five minutes of simmering to preserve their sweet aroma.
10
If preserving, ladle the boiling hot sauce into warm sterilised bottles, seal tightly, and process in a boiling water bath.

Chef's tips

Always use clean, sterilised bottles and new lids when bottling passata for pantry storage. Adding citric acid ensures the acidity level is safe for water-bath canning. Cook down the sauce patiently to develop natural sweetness without scorching the base.

Ingredient substitutions

citric acid → bottled commercial lemon juice
Roma tomatoes → San Marzano plum tomatoes

Storage

Store unbottled sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days, or keep properly water-bath sterilised sealed jars in a cool, dark pantry for up to twelve months.

Reheating

Warm gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat for five to eight minutes until simmering.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Browning the garlic too heavily, which imparts a bitter flavour to the delicate sauce
•Skipping the acidity check or acid addition when long-term preserving in jars
•Simmering with a lid on, which traps condensation and keeps the sauce watery

Serving suggestions

Toss through freshly cooked rigatoni or spaghetti with a grating of ParmesanUse as a rich, aromatic base for homemade pizza or parmigianaServe alongside crusty sourdough bread and extra virgin olive oil