A Vat of Simple Tomato Sauce
Cook time:
25 mins
Total time:
25 mins
Yield: 4 quarts
Description
San Marzano tomatoes are soft and sweet, the best canned tomatoes to my mind. If you can find them, buy them. Depending on the tomatoes’ acidity, you may need to add a little sugar to your sauce. Start with a tablespoon and taste, adding up to 4 tablespoons. For those who don’t want to make A Vat of Simple Tomato Sauce, the recipe halves easily, but keep in mind the sauce freezes well, and it’s a gift to pull a quart of this sauce from the freezer on a night you don’t feel like cooking. Your pot diameter will determine how long the sauce needs to simmer. For those using a pot that’s 12 inches in diameter, the sauce will be done in about 15 minutes. For those using a pot that’s 10 inches in diameter, the sauce will need to cook 20 to 25 minutes. For those with kids, you may want to eliminate or halve the amount of pepper flakes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 medium-large each: onions, carrots, and celery, cut into small dice OR for Garlicky Tomato Sauce substitute 12 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
- 4 cans (28 oz each) whole tomatoes, packed in puree or crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano variety)
- 1 cup red or white wine or water
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- Salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- For Vegetable Tomato Sauce, heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and pepper flakes and cook until vegetables soften, 5 to 7 minutes.For Garlicky Tomato Sauce, pulse garlic in the food processor. Heat the oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in a large pot over medium-high heat until garlic starts to sizzle, just a couple of minutes.
- If using whole tomatoes, crush tomatoes with your hands or pulse in the food processor. Stir tomatoes in with vegetables or garlic depending on which version you're making. Use wine (or water) to rinse out cans and add it to the pot. Bring to a full simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, uncovered, until sauce thickens and flavors meld, 15 to 25 minutes (see note below). Taste sauce, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Add enough tomato paste so that you’ve made a thick, full-bodied sauce. Simmer to blend flavors, a few minutes longer. Let cool and divide sauce among 3 to 4 quart-sized sealed containers. (Can be refrigerated a couple of weeks or frozen several months.)