Italian Stewed Tomatoes
These Italian stewed tomatoes are the perfect recipe to use up any extra tomatoes that you have! 20 minutes and a few pantry staples is all you'll need to whip up a jar of these tomatoes that can make your weeknight meals so much easier!
Just like my fire roasted tomatoes, these are perfect to use as a starting point for your pasta sauces and even for meaty mains.
I'm guilty of picking up more produce than I can use up immediately- it's just a thing. But hey, no one's complaining, because I always use up all those extra veggies to whip up something delicious and efficient- most importantly, freezer-friendly.
My extra tomatoes always get used up to make jars of my spicy tomato jam and my favorite Hungarian tomato pepper stew. This time, I wanted to try something different- something that I could use for my everyday meals.
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 5 minutes.
- ⏲️Cook time: 15 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 4.
- 📋Main ingredients: Bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, seasonings, basil, oil.
- ♨️Cooking method: Create slits on the skin of tomatoes 🡢 boil, cool and peel the skin 🡢 sauté chopped peppers and aromatics 🡢 add tomatoes and seasonings 🡢 cook until mushy 🡢 cool and store.
- ⭐Difficulty: Very easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Stir a spoonful of these stewed tomatoes into your favorite pasta (like my homemade cheese tortellini) to whip up a quick meal!
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
- It's incredibly versatile. You can use the Italian stewed tomatoes as your pasta sauce base, or top it with some cheese and team it up with some crusty bread- it's sure to be a winner every single time.
- It's an excellent way to preserve extra tomatoes. I'm partial to my classic marinated tomatoes and tomato passata recipe but this one's a close second.
Recipe Ingredients
Tomatoes: Choose the most ripe and juicy tomatoes you can find. Beefsteak, Vine and Plum tomatoes are best choices!
Aromatics: The classics- onion and garlic. You can also add some fresh celery if you have it at hand.
Bell peppers: I used a mix of both red and green bell peppers here. You can use only red peppers too if you prefer that classic red color.
Seasonings: The classics- some salt, pepper, garlic powder and a dash of my homemade mixed herb seasoning.
Basil: For that freshness and flavor.
Oil: Any neutral flavored cooking oil. I like to use my garlic rosemary infused oil sometimes!
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- I kept it simple, but if you want the stewed tomatoes to have a bolder flavor, you can sprinkle a bit of cayenne or jalapeno flakes into the mix.
- I also love using an infused salt to season these tomatoes. My homemade jalapeno salt, celery salt and mixed herb salt are my favorites!
How to Make Italian Stewed Tomatoes
Step 1: Use a sharp knife to make thin slits onto the skin of the tomatoes.
Step 2: Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes and remove. Peel of their skin.
Step 3: Finely chop the garlic and bell peppers.
Step 4: Sauté in oil until the veggies soften.
Step 5: Add the tomatoes and seasonings and continue cooking over low heat.
Step 6: Keep stirring and cook until the tomatoes are mushy. Take off heat, garnish and serve.
💭Top Tip
If you want a deeper flavor and a smoother consistency, turn down the heat and let the mixture cook for about 20 minutes on a slow simmer.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use a good quality, heavy bottomed pan to cook down the tomatoes. It helps the heat distribute evenly and keeps the tomatoes from burning.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Sometimes, I like to add a pinch of brown sugar into the mix to balance out the other flavors- like I do when I make my cherry tomato confit.
- If the mixture seems to be drying up too quickly, you can add a splash of water or veggie broth (I love using my low sodium vegetable broth) to get it to the right consistency.
- You can also bulk up the stewed tomatoes by adding more of the bell peppers and sneaking in some grated carrots. This makes sense if you're working on a big batch of stewed tomatoes.
How to Use Italian Stewed Tomatoes
These Italian stewed tomatoes can used in a number of ways. I personally love using it as a pasta or pizza sauce, just like my olive oil pizza sauce. You can also team it up with some crusty bread and other appetizers- like I do with my roasted zucchini dip.
And yes, these tomatoes can be a fantastic base for your soups, stews and curries too. Add canned chickpeas, shredded chicken or veggies to transform it into a nice meal.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Store your Italian stewed tomatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
To freeze Italian stewed tomatoes, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container after they have cooled down completely and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Blanching is an important step that helps soften the tomatoes and preserve their color. I wouldn't recommend skipping it.
More Essentials
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If you tried this Italian stewed tomatoes recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Italian Stewed Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 2-3 garlic
- 4-5 tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon mixed herb seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oil
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to make thin slits onto the skin of the tomatoes.
- Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes and remove. Peel of their skin.
- Finely chop the garlic and bell peppers.
- Sauté in oil until the veggies soften.
- Add the tomatoes and seasonings and continue cooking over low heat.
- Keep stirring and cook until the tomatoes are mushy. Take off heat, garnish and serve.
Notes
- Use a good quality, heavy bottomed pan to cook down the tomatoes. It helps the heat distribute evenly and keeps the tomatoes from burning.
- If the mixture seems to be drying up too quickly, you can add a splash of water or veggie broth (I love using my low sodium vegetable broth) to get it to the right consistency.
- You can also bulk up the stewed tomatoes by adding more of the bell peppers and sneaking in some grated carrots. This makes sense if you're working on a big batch of stewed tomatoes.
