Tomato Sauce
There’s so much joy at least for me when I have sauces or condiments in the fridge because it makes for a stress free cooking. Tomato is in season so I’m making the most out of it and using it in everything. A great way to make tomatoes last longer is to use them for tomato sauce. It’s one of the most versatile sauces, from using it in stews to pizzas or even serving as is with spaghetti. Because it is already cooked, you don’t really need to do much to it and that’s why I think everyone should have a great tomato sauce recipe in their arsenal.
Recipe
what you need
1.5kg very ripe fresh tomatoes
15 garlic cloves
2 cups chopped onion
dried red chilis (as much as you want)
2 cups white wine
1/3 cup tomato paste
4 tablespoons olive oil
Spices and seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 small bay leafs
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
fresh basil (as much as you want)
Sugar, use as needed
Use thyme, oregano or whatever fresh herb you have in place of rosemary. That’s what I had on hand and I happen to love rosemary a lot.
Use whatever kind of white wine you like. My advice is to use a wine that you would also drink.
You want the tomato sauce to simmer gently rather than boil. The slower you cook it the more flavor you develop so don’t rush it. I like to make this sauce at least a day ahead so all the flavors can settle.
Directions
Place ice cold water in a bowl and set aside.
Place a big pot of water on high heat and let it come to a boil. Gently place the tomatoes in the boiling water. Let them sit for 30 secs then remove and place in cold water. Let it sit in the cold water for a minute then peel and discard tomato skin. Place peeled tomatoes in a bowl. Roughly chop the tomatoes and place them back in the same bowl. Set aside for later.
To make the tomato sauce, place a pan over low heat and add the olive oil. Allow the oil to heat up then add the onions, thyme and bayleaf. Fry onions for 7 minutes. Add the garlic, dried chilies and rosemary. Stir and let it sauté for 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes (and the juices). Stir and add the wine. Add the tomato paste. Stir and add a pinch of salt. Cover pot and let tomato sauce simmer for 1 hr 30 mins and then add the white and black pepper. Stir, cover pot and let it continue simmering for an additional 30 mins. After the 30 mins mark, remove the bayleafs from the sauce and blend into a semi smooth or smooth paste. If you prefer the sauce chunky, remove the bay leafs and pulse it in the blender for about 30 seconds. You can use a hand blender. If you prefer a smooth tomato sauce, remove the bay leafs, blend. Pour the blended tomato sauce back into the pan and continue cooking uncovered over low heat until sauce is thickened, about 30 to 35 mins. Stir and adjust seasoning. If sauce is a bit too sour (tomatoes can be problematic sometimes) add about 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar or as much as needed. Taste and adjust salt. Add the chopped basil. Turn the heat off. Let it sit overnight uncovered or partly covered. Taste again in the morning and adjust seasoning
