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red sauce and spiral noodles in silver pan with a wooden spoon sticking out.
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5 from 3 votes

Tomato Basil Sauce

This tomato basil sauce is rich, buttery, and bursting with flavour in under 30 minutes. Budget-friendly, no blender and zero fuss.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main, Sauce
Cuisine: ITALAIN
Servings: 4
Calories: 608kcal
Author: Mimi Harrison
Cost: £1.19

Ingredients

  • 1 bulb of garlic (£0.39)
  • 1 onion, finely diced (£0.15)
  • 800 g can of cherry tomatoes (£2.50)
  • Large handful of basil (£0.52)
  • 50 g butter, sliced into cubes (£2/5= £0.40)
  • 400 g pasta of choice (£0.79)
  • Optional parmesan

Cupboard Essentials

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Red pepper flakes
  • 400 ml vegetable stock
Metric - US Standard

Instructions

  • To your bulb of garlic, slice the very top of the bulb off to slightly expose the cloves. Then, add 1 tsp of oil onto it. Wrap in foil and cook in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 200°C/400°F.
  • Meanwhile, to a large frying pan, add the EV olive oil and onion. Season with salt and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Gently fry over a medium/low heat for 5-6 minutes, or until softened.
  • Next, add the cherry tomatoes and stock to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Add a large handful of basil and set a timer to 15 minutes.
  • During this time, add your pasta to heavily salted boiling water, setting your timer to the packet time minus two minutes.
  • Carefully squish the roasted garlic out of the skin and finely chop to ensure it mixes easily. Add to the sauce along with the butter. Stir to incorporate everything, then transfer your al dente pasta into the pan.
  • Loosen if necessary with pasta water and continue to cook until the pasta is perfectly cooked and the sauce is glossy. Finish with more fresh basil, an optional sprinkle of parmesan and another pinch of red pepper flakes. Enjoy

Notes

  • Slightly undercook your pasta so it can finish cooking right in the sauce—this helps the sauce cling to the pasta beautifully for a more flavorful bite.
  • Save your pasta water before draining—it’s liquid gold! A splash of it can transform your sauce into a silky, restaurant-worthy masterpiece.
  • Add cold, cubed butter to your tomato basil sauce at the very end. It melts in gently and helps create a rich, glossy, perfectly emulsified finish.

Nutrition

Calories: 608kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 507mg | Potassium: 705mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1503IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 3mg