Basic tomato sauce

• Preparation: 5 minutes
• Cooking time: 25 minutes
• Serves 6, costs approx £2 (approx. 33p per portion)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 sticks celery
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp red pesto
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tin tomatoes
• ¼  vegetable stock cube
• salt and pepper

Allergy disclaimer: Always check the label of each ingredient for allergen information.

Method

1. Finely dice all the vegetables
2. Saute carrots and onion in olive oil until softened (approx. 3-4 mins)
3. Add the garlic and oregano then fry for another couple of minutes
4. Add the pesto, tinned tomatoes, crumble in stock cube and simmer gently for approx. 20 mins.
5. Season to taste.
6. Blitz sauce with a stick blender.

Top tips

A good tomato sauce can be used in so many dishes. You can make a bigger batch by doubling up the ingredients and it's freezable too.

It’s a great base for home made pizza and goes well with any pasta. You can add olives, chilli, pancetta or smoked sausage - whatever you fancy really!