Are you wondering what is Pomodoro sauce; and how it’s different from many other sauces? Or do you need a simple and easy recipe for making Pomodoro sauce at home?

Luckily, you have come to the right place!

This guide will help you learn about traditional Italian Pomodoro sauce, its recipe, substitutes, uses, and comparison with other sauces. So stick to this guide, and you will get to know all the answers. 

What is Pomodoro sauce?

Pomodoro sauce is another name for tomato sauce in Italy. The tomatoes are called “pomi d’oro,” or golden fruit in Italy. 

This tomato sauce recipe is the base sauce for many “Italian” dishes. 

Pomodoro or Pasta Pomodoro sauce comprises boiled, peeled tomatoes, basil, and kosher salt. Initially, you must remove the hard green part of the tomatoes and simmer them so they soften and peel off quickly. Then, blend them after adding a little salt and putting them into a glass jar and a handful of fresh basil leaves.

And thus, yummy Pomodoro sauce is ready. It’s a delicious pasta sauce for your pasta, spaghetti, and chicken parmesan.  

What Does Pomodoro Sauce Taste Like?

You have tasted many sauces, and Pomodoro has some of the same ingredients as other spices.

But Pomodoro has a tangy flavor of tomatoes with sweetness and a thicker, velvety texture with basil on the top, which increases its taste.

How Can You Make Authentic Pomodoro Sauce at Home?

We know we can find many recipes for Pomodoro sauce made from different ingredients. Yet few things make a huge difference and are necessary to make it authentic. 

Wondering where to find the original recipe? We’re here to share with you an authentic Pomodoro sauce recipe.

What do We Get Wrong about Pomodoro Sauce?

Generally, every recipe has some specialties and unique ingredients that make it different from the others. Many people made it with local ingredients and later complained that they didn’t get the authentic taste of Pomodoro sauce. 

For Pomodoro, particular kinds of tomatoes and onions are used to make it flavorful, and they’re the key ingredients that make Pomodoro original.

Particular kinds of tomatoes are used to make Pomodoro sauce, which tastes better and is more nutritious and flavorful than others. 

Fresh or home base tomatoes taste better because they’re free from chemicals or pesticides. In Pomodoro sauce, it is better to use a fresh one because the pulp is free from chemicals and tastes 100 times better than artificially ripened tomatoes. 

San Marzano tomatoes are great for making Italian sauce because of their more pulp, minimal seeds, and sweet and less acidic taste. These tomatoes originate from the small town of San Marzano, near Naples, Italy, and are of elongated shape. Italians also use Roma tomatoes. These tomatoes are red and plump and comprise a few seeds.  

What Ingredients do You Need to Make Authentic Pomodoro Sauce?

To make this traditional Italian tomato sauce, you’ll need the following:

(You can scale your recipe ingredients based on the quantity you want to make.)

Fresh tomatoes

For making Pomodoro, primarily fresh Roma tomatoes or vine-ripened, seedless tomatoes are used; these tomatoes are plump, making the sauce easy to make.

It’s pretty hard to find these kinds of tomatoes in America and other countries, so you can use any available medium-sized tomatoes and boil or blend them as a paste.

Fresh Basils

Next, you’ll need a handful of fresh basil. Separate its leaves from the stem and cut them.

Extra virgin olive oil

Take extra virgin olive oil tablespoons to simmer the garlic, onions, and fresh basil leaves. 

Kosher salt

 A pinch of Kosher salt is added to the original Pomodoro sauce. Kosher salt is wider, coarser-grained, and doesn’t contain any trace material, which is best to draw out moisture. However, you can use sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, which is available at your ease. 

Note: All other ingredients, like garlic, onions, red chili, and oregano, aren’t part of the original Italian tomato sauce. You can check out how Italian Grandmas make authentic Pomodoro sauce.

Authentic Pomodoro Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Kg Whole Fresh Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of water
• 10 grams of sea salt or Himalayan salt
• A handful of fresh basil leaves
• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method

•  First, take fresh “whole tomatoes.” 
• Cut the tomatoes on top to form a cross. Remove the rigid green “vine” part of the tomato seeds.
• Put the tomatoes in a pot and add ½ cup of water. Boil them for a few minutes over medium heat. 
• After boiling, transfer these tomatoes into a strainer to eliminate acidity and excessive moisture. The leftover is pulpy tomatoes.
•  Remove the tomato skin.
• Put these tomatoes into the manual blender and blend well to get a smooth velvety red paste. Also, add salt and mix it well.
• Take a glass bottle with an airtight lid, put a handful of fresh basil into the bottle, and put tomato sauce into it an inch below the bottle opening.
• Put one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on top of the sauce into the bottle and close the lid tightly.
• Add water into a large pot and put the bottle into it for sterilization.
• Turn on the flame and boil this bottle for at least an hour. Later on, cool it down to room temperature.
• Open the bottle to enjoy the sauce with your pasta, spaghetti, or other Italian dishes.

Note: we don’t recommend using any additional sauce ingredients. Instead, you should add those herbs or seasoning to your main dish. 

Is Authentic Pomodoro Sauce Spicy?

No authentic Pomodoro sauce is not spicy, but you are your one boss. You can make it spicy according to your taste by adding red pepper flakes or adding red Fresno just before using it.

You can add other seasonings like black pepper or sugar to the sauce. However, the original one doesn’t contain sugar or red chilies.

What can Go with Pomodoro Sauce?

Pomodoro sauce is a unique and quick recipe, and you can make plenty of dishes with it. Here are some popular dishes made with Pomodoro sauce:

1. Spaghetti

This sauce can quickly go with spaghetti. Spaghetti has a long, thin shape to hold any sauce. Pomodoro sauce can be used as the base sauce.

 You can add extra veggies and flavors based on your taste. 

2. Pasta

Pasta is on the list of favorite dishes people eat. Pasta comes in any shape or size, and it also comes in gluten-free form. Gluten-free pasta comprises brown rice, buckwheat, and corn, and its nutritional values differ based on what type of grains are added to make it gluten-free.

3. Gnocchi

Gnocchi is an Italian dish made of small lumps of dough consisting of mashed potatoes, flour, and eggs. Gnocchi is a perfect pairing with Pomodoro sauce.

But these three ain’t the only dishes you can serve with Pomodoro. This rich, delectable sauce also pairs nicely with the following:

Layered lasagna

Meat

Tomato chicken curry

Grilled cheese

Simmered eggs

Eggplant

Turkey meatballs

Shrimp meatballs

You can also add Pomodoro sauce to pizza sauce because they taste more or less similar. Also, you can use it as a dipping sauce or in soup.

How Should You Store Pomodoro Sauce?

You can freeze Pomodoro sauce for later use. Homemade sauce lasts for three to one week only. However, it can last over months if it doesn’t contain any cream and cheese and you sterilize it properly.

To freeze this sauce, you need an airtight container. Airtight containers preserve the sauce for weeks up to six months. But remember, if it keeps freezing for a long time, it might need a whole day to thaw.

What are the Substitutes for Pomodoro Sauce?

Pomodoro sauce is simple, you’ll agree. It’s why it’s pretty to use some other sauces interchangeably. The substitutes for Pomodoro sauce are: 

• Tomato sauce
• Spaghetti sauce
• Canned Tomatoes
• Marinara sauce 

Canned tomatoes can substitute Pomodoro sauce; canned tomatoes can be pureed until smooth and can be used in replacement for Pomodoro sauce.

Marinara sauce can also substitute for Pomodoro as it contains similar ingredients but is a little chunkier and watery in texture.

Pomodoro Sauce vs. Marinara Sauce: What’s the Difference?

Both sauces may have tomatoes as a similar ingredient. Yet, Marianna sauce contains additional elements like oregano, herbs, spices, black peppers, fresh basil, and canned tomatoes; canned tomatoes are primarily used in making Marianna sauce.

Marinara sauce’s texture is runnier and chunkier, while, on the other hand, Pomodoro sauce is smoother and a little thicker.

Pomodoro Vs. Puttanesca Sauce: What’s the Difference?

The origin and name of Puttanesca sauce have many stories. Some claim that Puttanesca was invented around the 1950s in a famous Ischia restaurant where hungry customers came, and the chef didn’t have many ingredients. So he prepared it with tomatoes, olive oil, and capers as a base of the sauce, and that’s how Puttanesca sauce is formed.

While many believe that Puttanesca refers to “prepared as it comes,” the sauce is quick and easy to cook. While in Italy, Puttanesca means “in the style of whore.” So, you can apprehend it’s about spicy, rich, flavorful, but complex taste.

The Difference

Pomodoro sauce is simply a tomato sauce, while Puttanesca sauce comprises tomato paste, anchovies, olives, capers, garlic cloves, oregano, tomatoes, fresh basil, and olive oil in addition to tomatoes and is usually served with linguine or vermicelli. But spaghetti or pasta is also widely used for it.

You can turn Pomodoro sauce into Puttanesca sauce by adding a few ingredients. Yet, you cannot change Puttanesca into pizza sauce, especially when you intend it for homemade pizza.

Is Pomodoro Sauce Vegan?

An authentic Pomodoro sauce doesn’t contain any meat and dairy ingredients, making it different from the other sauces, so yes, Pomodoro sauce is vegan. Vegans can have it in their dishes.

Is Pomodoro Sauce Good for Pizza?

Mainly pizza sauce is used as the base of pizza on commercial grounds. However, you can also use Pomodoro sauce while making homemade pizza or commercial one because Pomodoro is nearly like pizza sauce. 

The only difference is that the pizza comprises tomato canned San Marzano tomatoes blended with salt and fresh basil leaves. In contrast, the Pomodoro sauce is made using boiled and peeled tomatoes. So Pomodoro sauce is also a good option as the pizza base.

Can you Mix Vodka Sauce and Pomodoro Sauce?

Yes, you can mix vodka sauce in Pomodoro. Vodka enhances the flavor of Pomodoro sauce and adds depth to the sauce; the creamy texture lavishes the taste of the sauce on your taste buds.

Pomodoro Sauce Vs. Spaghetti Sauce, What is the Difference?

Pomodoro sauce is like spaghetti sauce; both comprise tomatoes.

The primary difference between Pomodoro vs. Spaghetti or pasta sauce is that the former has a shorter list of ingredients. Essentially, Pomodoro doesn’t contain meat. It’s a purely vegan sauce.

Spaghetti sauce, on the other hand, is another tomato-based sauce, but possibly with meat and other additions.

What is the Difference Between Pomodoro and Bolognese Sauce?

The significant difference is that bolognese means meat sauce, while tomatoes are the key ingredient in Pomodoro. Bolognese sauce contains meat and milk, which adds thickness and richness to the sauce.

Pomodoro Sauce Vs. Vodka sauce, What is the difference?

Pomodoro sauce comprises simple ingredients, while Vodka sauce shares some ingredients with Pomodoro sauce, like tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. On the other hand, Vodka sauce has onions, garlic, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and vodka.

Final Thoughts

Pomodoro sauce is quick and easy to make and requires simple ingredients. It can be used as a base for spaghetti, pasta, and many other dishes, and it is quite convenient to store for later use as well.

Try it at home or buy it online and use Pomodoro as a base sauce for any dish you want, and I promise you will love the taste and flavor of your Pomodoro sauce.