Canned tomato sauce will never measure up to homemade, a relatively simple undertaking that is much less costly than buying jarred types, which are too full of insipid dried herbs, and high in sodium and preservatives. If you want to make fresh tomato sauce, use plum varieties such as Roma or San Marzano for their sweetness and meatiness. Beefsteak tomatoes are not recommended for making tomato sauce; they are really a salad tomato but besides that, they are too watery and too seedy. If you are using canned plum tomatoes choose those that are imported from Italy. Cherry tomatoes, known as pacchino in Italy, are often used; this is a common practice in Puglia, at the heel of Italys boot. In addition to the tomatoes, use a good extra virgin olive oil that is not too fruity otherwise it will overwhelm the tomato flavor. The rest of the ingredients are the cooks whim; some begin with a battuto, a finely minced combination of celery, onion, garlic, and carrots. These are the odori, the flavor enhancers, which are sweated down first in the olive oil before adding the tomatoes. Others saute only onions and garlic in olive oil, then add tomatoes, fresh basil, salt, pepper, sometimes a pinch of sugar, and a little red wine. For a spicy tomato sauce, hot red pepper, either fresh or in dried flake form is added. An important thing to remember is that meatless tomato sauce does not need to cook for very long, 15 minutes at most. Tomato sauces that simmer for hours usually have the addition of less tender cuts of meat such as round steak, spare ribs, or a combination of meats that is served as the secondo, the second course. The following recipe is a basic all-purpose meatless sauce flavored with basil. It is from my latest book Ciao Italia Family Classics. It can be made in large quantities and frozen for three months. Use the sauce on pasta, with meat, poultry or fish and for pizza and calzones. Salsa di Pomodoro e Basilico Tomato Basil Sauce Makes 9 to 10 cups 5 pounds ripe plum tomatoes or three 28-ounce cans crushed plum tomatoes ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup diced onion 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 cups dry red wine 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons salt or to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste 6 to 8 large sprigs fresh basil leaves If using fresh tomatoes, core them, cut them into coarse chunks; puree them in a food processor until smooth, then strain them through a fine mesh sieve to remove the skins and seeds. Alternately use a food mill. Strain them and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and cook the onion over medium heat, stirring, until soft. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft but do not let it brown or the sauce will be bitter Pour in the tomatoes and wine and stir to combine. Add the remaining ingredients, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 14:00:01 +0000
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