Take a trip to your local farmers market, grab some farm fresh Roma tomatoes (or yellow tomatoes if you need a less acidic sauce), some fresh oregano, basil, and thyme plants, and let’s get to making Susan’s famous Sicilian Pasta Sauce.

Side note- Growing your own fresh herbs is so much more flavorful than buying them from the store! Garden Valley has a great selection of fresh herbs for you to choose from, as well as fresh, homegrown tomatoes that are juicy and make the perfect base for this flavorful pasta sauce.
Also, if you head to this Garden Valley location, you’ll meet Susan, the founder of this delicious recipe that leaves her grown children coming back home for supper with empty stomachs, and leaving with full hearts (and bellies).

how to make susan’s sicilian pasta sauce

Before starting, we recommend that you turn on some of your favorite Italian music.

Cut the tops of the tomatoes off and slice the tomato in half. Add your tomatoes to the pan, and begin to cook over medium heat with salt and pepper and a 1/3 cup water. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Turn off your stove but let them sit for a bit, which will make it easier to peel the skins off.

Add your peeled tomatoes into the food processor or blender and pulse so that tomatoes are blended well but still have a thicker consistency. (If you’re wanting a smoother consistency, you can always choose the blend button instead of pulse.)

In a large pot, add 4 tablespoons of butter and whatever seasonings you’re wanting. We like to add Garlic, chopped Onion, Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Salt, and Pepper. You can also add red pepper flakes if you’re wanting a little bit of heat in your sauce. Let simmer, for 5 minutes, deglaze with a splash of red wine, and add your blended tomatoes.

If you’re wanting to add meat to your sauce, cook only three-fourth’s of the way through, and then add to sauce. This allows the meat to absorb the flavor of the tomato sauce, and will allow the meat to finish cooking without becoming dry.
A few meat suggestions:
+ Italian Sausage, Pork Ribs, or this Homemade Meatball recipe from Our Balanced Bowl

Bring ingredients to a boil, simmer throughout the day, and enjoy the fresh aroma of homemade pasta sauce filling up your home.

Susan’s Sicilian Pasta sauce

INGREDIENTS

10-12 Roma (or Yellow) Tomatoes
1/3 C Water
4 T of butter
1 Medium Vidalia Onion
3 Garlic Cloves
2 T Oregano
2 T Thyme
3 T Basil
2 T Parsley
Splash of Red Wine

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut off the tops of the tomatoes.
2. Slice the tomatoes in half. Add halved tomatoes, water, and salt/pepper (to taste) into your pot and cover with lid. Let simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
3. Once finished, let tomatoes sit for 5-10 minutes to cool off. Peel skins of tomatoes off, add to blender, and pulse until a smooth texture is achieved.
4. Add butter, onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, basil and parsley to a large pot. Simmer over medium-high flame for approximately 5 minutes. Deglaze with a splash of red wine. Add blended tomatoes and stir together.
5. Bring ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer at least 4 hours.

S I D E N O T E
If you are adding meat to your pasta sauce, cook only three-fourths of the way through so that your meat is not dried out and is able to absorb the flavor of the sauce. Here is a great meatball recipe.

When you try this delicious sauce, we would love to see your photos, so tag @gardenvalleyfarmersmarket in your posts, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #gardenvalleyfarmersmarket and show us your pasta night!

Lastly, if you find this information helpful, we’d love it if you would support us
by sharing with your friends.

Happy Pasta Night!

Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to visit with us, come by any of our five North Carolina locations. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook, Youtube, or our Instagram. If you’re wanting to earn rewards and be easily connected with us, download our new App. And if you’re wanting to check out our other recipes and blog posts, or are needing more inspiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team