Provencale Sauce Recipe
Provencale sauce is a bright, rustic French tomato sauce packed with garlic, herbs, olives, and Mediterranean flavor.
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- wide saute pan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- salt & pepper
- 2 pounds fresh tomatoes or 1 - 35-ounce can plum tomatoes, drained, chopped
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 cup cured black olives pitted and coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers drained
- ½ cup fresh herbs including basil parsley and thyme, roughly chopped
Instructions
Saute the Onions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent — 5 to 7 minutes. Onions need real time; give it to them.
Add the Garlic
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant.
Garlic needs a fraction of the time onions do — if it starts browning quickly, pull the pan off the heat for a moment before continuing.
Deglaze with Wine
- Pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Let it reduce until nearly gone, about 1 to 2 minutes — this is about lifting flavor off the pan, not adding a cup of wine taste to the sauce.
Add Tomatoes
- Stir in the tomatoes, breaking them up slightly with a spoon. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and loses its raw edge.
Don't cook it longer than that — Provençale sauce should taste fresh and lively, not stewed.
Add Olives & Herbs
- Stir in the olives, capers, thyme, and parsley. Simmer another 2 to 3 minutes.
Add basil at the very end, off the heat, so it stays bright instead of wilting into the sauce.
Taste & Balance
- Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lemon juice if needed. The olives and capers already bring plenty of salt, so season carefully.
Serve Immediately
- Spoon over fish, chicken, pasta, or vegetables while warm. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil.