Italian Sausage Tomato Sauce Recipe
This Italian Sausage Tomato Sauce is loaded with tomatoes and spices. It's great over zucchini noodles, pasta, mashed potatoes, and even on its own.
Servings 8 people
Calories 256kcal
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 cup white onions chopped
- 1 cup red bell peppers chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- salt and black pepper
- 2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes with juice
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pesto
- 4 medium fresh Italian sausage
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onions, and cook 4-5 minutes until they are soft and golden.
- Add the bell peppers, garlic, bay leaf, crushed red pepper, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper.
- Cook everything for about 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, and set aside.
- Add the 2 cans of whole tomatoes including the juice. With a hand blender, crush the tomatoes. Be careful not to blend the tomatoes too much. You should leave a few chunks of tomatoes in the sauce.
- Add the brown sugar and water. Cook for more 3 minutes.
- Return the bay leaf to the pan.
- Add the pesto, and cover the pan. Once it boils, lower the heat to maintain a low simmer.
- Don't forget to stir occasionally.
- Meanwhile in a skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the Italian sausages, and sauté until they become brown on the outside but still raw inside.
- Cut the Italian sausages into three pieces each, and add to the tomato sauce. Cook on low heat for about 1½ hours. You can also cook the sauce for longer (3-4 hours) if you have the time.
- Before serving, remove the bay leaf. Serve it over spaghetti or zucchini noodles.
Notes
- You can get spicy Italian sausage to make the sauce spicier.
- Feel free to add light, regular, or dark brown sugar.
- Adjust the amount of sugar to your liking.
- To store: Store the tomato sauce in an airtight container for 4 days in the fridge.
- To reheat: Reheat the sauce in the microwave or stovetop until hot.
- To freeze: Once cooled, you can freeze the tomato sauce for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8 | Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.7g | Protein: 8.3g | Fat: 19.4g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 339mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 6.6g