Those overripe tomatoes may look as if they were forgotten in the sun, crushed by a milk carton, dropped on the kitchen floor — or maybe, all three! But don’t throw them out. Waste less and use those cracked, bruised beauties to make a sweeter, better-tasting sauce all at the same time.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | about 4 cups (16 servings) |
Ingredients
- 8 medium overripe and cracked or bruised tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/4 medium onion, diced (about 3 tablespoons)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 small bunch fresh basil, leaves chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Trim away the bruised, cracked or moldy parts of the tomatoes and discard. Roughly chop the tomatoes, reserving their juices, and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the garlic and onion, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with about half of their juices (discard the rest), thyme and basil leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and add pepper to taste. Serve immediately or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 44 |
| Total Fat | 4 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 1 grams |
| Cholesterol | 0 milligrams |
| Sodium | 137 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 3 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 grams |
| Protein | 1 grams |
| Sugar | 2 grams |
Reviews
This recipe is in my summer list of favorite go 2s. I have plenty of funky tomatoes and fresh basil. A great basic recipe.
I have made this a few times and love it. Can I put this in a pressure canner?
Really tasty and easy. I use all types of tomatoes. I add fresh oregano too.
Dear July 23 2017, GREAT SAUCE!! I worked in the grocery business over 45 years! Absolutely fine to cut away spoiled, bruised or moldy spots from veggies and cook!
I’ve made this a few times, and love the sauce – I throw it in the blender and puree it when done, makes a great base for spaghetti sauce. I used a mix of overripe tomatoes with a few good romas from our garden, but definitely would not use moldy ones… Otherwise, highly recommend!
This is great for over ripend tomatoes. And it makes a better sauce then tomatoes from a can any day!! Make sure to use a good olive oil. And plenty of basil. Yummmmm!!!
I cant believe Food Network is recommending to cut away the moldy part of a tomato, and use the rest! Any mold on a tomato means the entire fruit is BAD!