Introduction
Each of these recipes uses the same amount of tomatoes, either two pounds of fresh tomatoes or a large (28 ounce) can of tomatoes. They all make enough sauce to dress a pound of pasta.
For fresh tomatoes, “saucing” and “pasting” varieties are ideal. These varieties generally have a large flesh to gel ratio and low seed counts. Everything classified as Roma tomatoes fall into this category. But, to me, as long as they are richly flavored varieties (generally from the garden or the farmers market), that are fully ripe, you should be good to go.
With fresh tomatoes, the skins can detract from the texture of the sauce. Traditionally, the tomatoes would be blanched for one minute in boiling water, plunged into cool water and then peeled. Another option is to chop them and cook them for just 10 minutes to soften things up, and then run them through a food mill to remove the skins. I generally use a third alternative. Once the sauce has fully cooked, I use an immersion blender to pulverize both the skin and the seeds, creating a perfectly smooth sauce. Choose whichever method works best for you.
For canned tomatoes, DOP (protected domain of origin) San Marzano tomatoes, imported from Italy, have the best reputation. The DOP certification guarantees the variety of tomato, where they are grown, and how they are grown and processed. They are definitely nice, but the first thing I look for on the tomato can label is USDA organic. The brand Cento does have a DOP San Marzano that is organic which is really good. And Muir Glen has San Marzano style (from California, not Italy) which is also really good. But, to be honest, I often go with house brand organic tomatoes. Since I puree my sauces as a final step, diced, crushed or whole work equally well. Keep both the flesh and the juice. If you are using whole tomatoes, dump them into the pot, and then reach in and squish them in your fist one at a time.
Optional Ingredients
Sometimes you want the tomatoes solo. The first two recipes are examples of this. Sometimes you want them to be part of a symphony. The third recipe brings a generous amount of fresh basil to the party. Depending on your use for the sauce, herbs can really add complexity and character to the dish. Earthy herbs like oregano and marjoram often work well, rosemary is very distinctive, and basil is a classic. A quarter teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes will wake the tongue without becoming spicy. If the sauce tastes too tart, a tiny bit of sugar can mellow it out. In her first cookbook, The Classic Italian Cook Book, the legendary Marcella Hazan actually specified using a quarter teaspoon of sugar. So sugar is allowed, but taste first, and use it in very small amounts. An ounce or two of cream will also mellow tomato sauce flavor and give it a rich mouthfeel. And the sauces can be taken in many different directions with major additions such as pancetta, Italian sausage, spinach, or mushrooms. Make these sauces work for you!
Soffritto-Based Tomato Sauce
Soffritto is the Italian cousin to the French mirepoix. The standard combination of aromatics is equal parts onion, carrot and celery. Marcella Hazan offered just three tomato sauce recipes in The Classic Italian Cook Book. Tomato Sauce I and II use soffritto. The first started with a sauté of the soffritto and the second simply had the soffritto poach with tomatoes in the tomato’s own juices. I’m a fan of sautéing first.
Soffrito-Based Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lb fresh tomatoes (or 1 28 ounce can of tomatoes) See notes
- 1 small onion (3-4 ounces) diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Combine the onions, celery and carrot with ½ teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauce pan and sauté over medium high until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent.
- Add the tomatoes to the pot and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Adjust the heat so the simmer is steady but gentle. Stir occasionally.
- For a smooth consistency, optionally use an immersion blender to puree the sauce.
- Before serving, add salt to taste.
Butter and Onion Based Tomato Sauce
Hazan’s Tomato Sauce III uses butter instead of olive oil and only onions. The original recipe calls for a full stick of butter. In Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, along with several new tomato sauce recipes, she provided an updated Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter and reduces the butter to 5 tablespoons. In both recipes she simply peels and cuts the onion in half and lets the onion poach with the tomatoes, where it releases its essence into the sauce. The onion is then discarded before the sauce is served. I’ve made it that way. It is delicious and it is amazing how much sweet onion flavor is captured with this method. But, I have a hard time simply discarding the onion after it is cooked. I prefer to dice the onion and sauté it in butter before adding the tomatoes, and leaving the onion in the sauce. The flavor that butter provides to the sauce is quite distinctive. Give it a try!
Butter and Onion Based Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lb fresh tomatoes (or 1 28 ounce can of tomatoes) See notes
- 1 medium onion (6-8 ounces) diced
- 4 tbsp butter
- salt
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the onions with ½ teaspoon of saltand sauté over medium high until the the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the tomatoes to the pot and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Adjust the heat so the simmer is steady but gentle. Stir occasionally.
- For a smooth consistency, optionally use an immersion blender to puree the sauce.
- Before serving, add salt to taste.
Garlic and Basil Marinara
The final tomato sauce recipe that I provide here skips the sauté of aromatics. The only aromatic is garlic, and it is poached with the tomatoes in the tomato’s own juices. A generous amount of fresh basil is added at the end of the cooking process. Much of the essence of fresh basil is volatile and will dissipate with cooking, hence the need to add it at the end. If you plan on using an immersion blender to puree the sauce, the basil leaves can be added whole just before the sauce is pureed. If you intend to keep the sauce rustic, chiffonnade the basil by making a stack of the leaves and then slicing it into thin strips.
Garlic and Basil Marinara
Ingredients
- 2 lb fresh tomatoes (or 1 28 ounce can of tomatoes) See notes
- 3-4 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch basil
- salt
Instructions
- Add the tomatoes and garlic to a sauce pot and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Adjust the heat so the simmer is steady but gentle. Stir occasionally.
- Separate the basil leaves from the stems. Stack the leaves and then slice them into a thin chiffonnade.
- For a smooth consistency, optionally use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. If you choose to perform this step, add half of the basil before you puree.
- Stir the olive oil and basil into the sauce.
- Before serving, add salt to taste.
