How to Make a Perfect Tomato Sauce: a Revisited Recipe

This is not the classic recipe of tomato sauce, but Alexander, my food-critic partner, loves to do it this way at home. You get a good sauce and silky consistency. The original recipe is by a great starred chef, but don’t worry because it is straightforward and a guaranteed success.

To make this sauce, three types of tomato are required: 2 in the can and one fresh. Let’s do it together! Ready?

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword pomodoro, sauce, tomatoes sauce

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 30

Ingredients

15 oz of very ripe plum tomatoes, such as Roma (In Italy, you use San Marzano) (400g)
15 oz of canned cherry tomatoes (400g)
15 oz of canned peeled tomatoes
4-5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic unpeeled
A small yellow onion
A little sugar (1/4 teaspoon about)
Salt to taste
Basil leaves or fresh or dry herbs to taste

Instructions

Prepare the onion and chop it coarsely;
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat for a couple of minutes, add the onion and the unpeeled garlic;
Sauté them gently and when the onion is a little golden, remove the garlic and add the canned tomatoes;
In the meantime, wash the fresh tomatoes and dice them without removing the skins. Add them to the saucepan and mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon;
Add a little salt and the sugar;
Cover the pan partially with the lid. Check the flame: make sure it’s low enough because it’s essential not to burn the sauce as it would leave an unpleasant bitter aftertaste.
When the sauce looks homogeneous and the tomatoes are completely softened, turn off the heat and mix the ingredients using an immersion blender.
Then, use a fine mesh strainer and filter the sauce in order to separate skins, seeds, and tomato scraps;
Put the sauce back on the stove and continue to let it thicken without the lid over a low heat;
Taste the sauce and add salt if necessary;
If you want to make la pasta al pomodoro, boil the water, add a handful of salt and the pasta, and cook it following the package instructions;
When the pasta is cooked, drain and add it to the nonstick skillet where you have just prepared the sauce. Toss well and serve it hot;
Add some chopped basil or oregano, pepper, and red pepper flakes;
Top the pasta with sauce and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese;
This three-tomato sauce is smooth and silky (without any lumps). It’s perfect for "embracing" the pasta and making it unforgettable.
And the remaining sauce? Let it cool completely, divide it into single portions, and put it in the freezer. It will be perfect for other occasions, just let it melt in a skillet while the pasta cooks; you will always have a delicious sauce for a quick lunch and as a basis for other tasty recipes.