Tomato sauce with a whopping 30 cloves of garlic. As a garlic lover, do you really need any more convincing?? This recipe is certainly not for the faint of heart (for a milder recipe, try our Creamy Garlic Tomato Sauce instead) but if you adore garlic as much as we do, this might just become your new favourite pasta sauce.
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Ingredient Notes
A few important notes on some of the ingredients used in this recipe for Tomato Sauce with 30 Cloves of Garlic:
Garlic: Erm, you’ve got to start with peeling and mincing thirty garlic cloves, of course. Probably the most time-intensive part of this recipe. But it’s worth it!
IMPORTANT: USE FRESH GARLIC. DO NOT USE JARRED GARLIC FOR THIS RECIPE. IT WILL NOT TASTE THE SAME.
Lard or Butter: A fat with a rich mouthfeel like lard or butter pairs better with this tomato sauce than olive oil.
Spices: Keep it simple with black pepper, salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes.
White Wine: Optional, but adds further depth and complexity to the sauce. Use a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
Canned Tomatoes: As I explain in my Creamy Garlic Tomato Sauce recipe, canned whole tomatoes have the best flavour. Even better than fresh tomato in most cases. I recommend Cento, Muir Glen, or Bianco DiNapoli.
You can also used crushed tomatoes for a smoother sauce. I don’t recommend diced tomatoes—they don’t break down easily and will leave you with a thin, watery sauce with big blobs of tomato. If you only have diced tomatoes on hand, chuck the sauce in a blender to blend it smooth.
See recipe card for quantities.
Directions
Step 1. Peel and mince 30 cloves of garlic. Meanwhile, melt lard or butter in a Dutch oven on medium heat.
Step 2. Add the garlic and sautée until it’s aromatic and starting to brown, then deglaze with white wine (optional).
Step 3. When most of the wine has evaporated, sprinkle in salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and pepper flakes.
Step 4. Pour in the canned whole tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes with your wooden spoon or spatula, and bring to a simmer.
Step 5. Cover and simmer on medium low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to continue to break up the tomatoes into a thick, chunky sauce.
Storage Tips
Fridge: Refrigerate tomato sauce with 30 garlic cloves in an airtight jar for up to three days.
Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. The sauce may separate slightly when thawed; just reheat it in a saucepan and stir it back together.
More of Our Most Garlicky Recipes
Looking for other recipes that use up a ton of garlic? Try these:
What to Make with 30 Cloves of Garlic Tomato Sauce
This recipe makes enough sauce for 1 pound of meatballs and 1 pound of pasta.
Below are some of my favorite dishes to pair with this 30 Garlic Clove Tomato Sauce:
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating or comment below to give me feedback and help out other readers.
Recipe Card
Tomato Sauce with 30 Garlic Cloves
Equipment
- Dutch oven at least 2.5-qt
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lard or butter
- 30 cloves minced garlic approximately 3 heads
- 3 tablespoons white wine *optional
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 can whole tomatoes
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons lard or butter in a Dutch oven on medium heat.
- Add the 30 cloves minced garlic and sautée until aromatic and starting to brown.
- Deglaze the Dutch oven with 3 tablespoons white wine (optional), then when most of the wine has evaporated, sprinkle in 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes.
- Pour in 1 can whole tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes with your wooden spoon or spatula. Cover and simmer on medium low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Emily says
We enjoyed this recipe, however 3 heads of garlic is truly a bit on the side oft oo much. 2 heads of garlic should be sufficient for a sufficiently garlicky sauce without overwhelming it.
Kelly Zhang says
Thanks for the feedback Emily, what can I say we just love garlic... 😅 I'm glad you made it work for you!