Sugo Recipe

overhead photo of sugo in a dutch oven next to tomatoes and parmesan

Sugo di Pomodoro is a classic Italian tomato sauce you are guaranteed to love! Light, refreshing, and perfect for serving with pasta, polenta, and more.

Course Main, Sauce

Cuisine American/Italian

Keyword sugo, sugo pasta, sugo recipe, sugo sauce

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 136kcal

Author Isabel Laessig

Equipment

1 Dutch Oven

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 small Onion yellow or white, chopped
3 cloves Garlic minced
28 oz. Whole peeled tomatoes canned (San Marzano style)
½ cup Red wine
1 pinch Red pepper flakes
3-4 leaves basil fresh, chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
16 oz. Bucatini pasta or pasta of choice

Instructions

Heat 2 Tablespoons Olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 small Onion and 3 cloves Garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes.
2 Tablespoons Olive oil, 1 small Onion, 3 cloves Garlic
Add 28 oz. Whole peeled tomatoes and stir to combine. If you prefer a less chunky texture, smash the tomatoes with the back of your spoon while cooking.
28 oz. Whole peeled tomatoes
Pour in ½ cup Red wine, and stir.
½ cup Red wine
Season with 1 pinch Red pepper flakes and 3-4 leaves basil, and stir again to combine.
1 pinch Red pepper flakes, 3-4 leaves basil
Let the sauce simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The sauce can be left to simmer for longer for deeper flavor.
If preparing 16 oz. Bucatini pasta for sugo, cook according to package directions near the end of the sauce cooking time. Taste, add Salt and Pepper as desired, and serve!
Salt, Pepper, 16 oz. Bucatini pasta

Video

Notes

Nutrition value does not include pasta.
Canned, San Marzano style tomatoes work best for this recipe; other styles of canned tomato won't work.
If you want, you can also use fresh tomatoes, but for best results they should be cocktail campari tomatoes. Campari tomatoes are a variety of tomato that is slightly larger than grape and cherry tomatoes.
If you use fresh tomatoes, cut them in half and cook them with the garlic and onions. Crush them as they begin to cook. You would need about 1 pound of fresh tomatoes to use fresh instead of canned.
Use a high-quality olive oil for best results. Olive oil is a major component in sugo, so the better the quality, the better the flavor.
Also use a high-quality red drinking wine for best flavor.
Add the salt and pepper at the end of the simmering time and adjust according to taste.

Nutrition