Tomato and Basil Sugo Recipe
                     Tomato and Basil Sugo Recipe
https://www.wholesomebellies.com.au/
Sugo: The traditional Italian pasta sauce for any occasion
This recipe is so simple that you’ll want to make it again and 
again. And as the preparation time is short, whipping up a big 
batch at once makes sense — you can then freeze some for 
later.
The sauce is delicious on pasta, zucchini noodles, and 
homemade cannelloni. It makes a wonderful base for pizza 
too!
When I was young my mum made ‘Sugo’ on repeat. It was the 
first recipe I learned to cook.  And there was always a 
container or two in the freezer for those nights when mum 
and dad were working.  My siblings and I would boil up some 
pasta, take the sauce from the freezer, and dinner was done!
Working with a few basic ingredients, all you need to make 
this pasta sauce is a bottle of good quality to passata, one 
onion, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, and salt.  I can’t stress 
enough how important the quality of ingredients is for this 
dish.  As it’s just a few ingredients, make sure the passata is a 
good quality Italian one with no added salt or herbs.  I love to 
use the brand Mutti.  Use extra virgin, full bodied olive oil (no 
light oils), and be generous with your fresh basil.
The trick to building incredible flavour, is to slowly cook the 
onion, caramelizing it in the olive oil until it’s golden brown.  
Don’t add your passata until your onion has caramelized. This 
dish, whilst simple, requires patience.
The best onion to use is brown – ideally not red onion, a bottle 
of good quality tomato passata. Avoid a brand that has added 
salt and herbs. Two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – a bold, 
good quality olive oil is essential, ten or twelve fresh basil 
leaves.  Using fresh instead of dried basil builds much better 
flavour. And finally a teaspoon salt – Himalayan or a pinch of 
pure sea salt works wonders.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves:  1 bottle of passata
Ingredients
1 brown onion – best onion to use is brown – ideally not 
red onion
1 bottle good quality tomato passata – my favourite brand 
is Mutti. Avoid a brand that has added salt and herbs.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – a bold, good quality 
olive oil is essential here
10 – 12 fresh basil leaves – fresh not dried basil builds 
much better flavour
1 teaspoon salt – Himalayan or a pure sea salt works 
wonders
Method
Chop onion into large chunks.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan and then fry off 
the onion, stirring constantly, until the 
onion is lovely and brown all over and has 
caramelised.
Once cooked, turn down heat, pour in 
entire bottle of passata, add basil leave and 
salt and stir.
Cook sauce for about 30 minutes on 
medium heat so it simmers slowly.
Once cooled down blend till super smooth.
Enjoy over your favourite pasta sauce as a 
sauce for your lasagne or cannelloni
Equipment you Need
Chopping Board
Sharp knife
Saucepan
There are two ways to make this sauce.  Traditionally, my 
mum taught me to caramelize the onion whole, cook the 
tomato sugo with the onion whole and then remove it once 
the sauce is cooked.  I always thought this was the traditional 
way to make it, but recently found out that it was actually 
because my dad didn’t like eating onion – he only liked the 
flavour of it.  If this sounds like you, thenfollow this method.
Otherwise follow my method below where we blend the 
sauce with the onion, creating a creamier sauce and 
enjoying the entire onion.
The first is to chop the onion into large chunks. Then heat 
olive oil in a saucepan, fry off the onion, occasionally 
stirring, until the onion is lovely and brown all over and has 
caramelized. Add the basil leaves and cook about 30 
seconds.  Then turn down the heat, pour in the entire bottle 
of passata, add salt and stir. Cook the sauce for about 30 
minutes on medium heat so it simmers slowly.  Once cooled, 
down blend until super smooth. Enjoy over your favourite 
pasta sauce, as a sauce for your lasagne or cannelloni
Variations to this classic pasta sauce
If you’re looking to up the vegetable content in this sauce 
check out our variation to this sauce.  I sneak in carrots 
and zucchini and then blend them all together.  Makes a 
great sauce for the kids with those added vegetables.  
Check out the recipe HERE
Using the same quality olive oil and passata add garlic to 
this sauce for a rich flavour.
You can also spice it up with a bit of heat by adding freshly 
chopped Birdseye chili. This small red pepper is a staple in 
many cuisines, and it brings a unique flavor to any dish.
For a light tomato sauce, use crushed tomatoes instead 
of passata. This will give your sauce a lighter texture 
and less bold tomato flavor.
If you’re looking for an even lighter version, we 
recommend using fresh Roma tomatoes.  To make this 
variation, blend about a kilo of tomatoes Follow the 
same recipe above using your fresh tomato blend 
instead of passata.
You can also fry up some mushrooms with garlic and 
add to the tomato sauce.  Make some plant-based 
meatballs with legumes, sauté them, and add them to 
the sauce once cooked.
And for the non-vegetarians, you can add any meat-
based meatballs to this sauce.
The best part about making your 
own pasta sauce is that you have 
complete control over the 
ingredients.  Many pasta sauces from 
the supermarket have added sugar 
(totally unnecessary) and other 
preservatives.  This is completely 
whole and you can control the 
amount of olive oil and salt you use 
to adjust it to your dietary 
requirements.  The sauce on its own 
lacks protein, so if you are looking for 
a  complete protein meal then pair 
this sauce with a protein-based 
pasta. There are so many legume-
based pastas at the supermarkets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the recipe make?
If you use one bottle of passata, this will make enough for a saucy 
bowl of pasta for 4 – 6 people.   Depending on how many grams per 
person you enjoy, but most definitely 500 grams of pasta will soak 
up this yummy sauce
Can you store them in the freezer?
Yes this sauce freezes perfectly.  I usually portion the sauce out so 
it’s enough for two people. That way if I just want to whip up a 
quick pasta for my two kids it’s all portioned out.  The best way is 
to freeze in a zip lock bag.  That way if you need to defrost it quickly 
you can pop the zip lock bag of sauce in bowl of hot water for 5 0 
10 minutes.
Contact US
Email  -
[email protected]
Phone - 0416 250 969
https://www.wholesomebellies.com.au/