A couple days ago, on Twitter, I posted some pictures as I outlined how I make my home-made tomato sauce. I promised I would make a post, laying the process out a little more coherently, so here it is:

Ingredients:

  • 1 large onion
  • Fresh Basil
  • 10-12 Roma Tomatoes
  • Garlic
  • Dried oregano, rosemary, and thyme
  • 2 large cans crushed tomatoes.
  • 2 small cans tomato paste
  • Heavy Cream
  • Red wine (Cheap is a-okay)
  • Salt and Black Pepper
  • Sugar
  • Olive Oil

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375. Halve, and seed 7 Roma tomatoes. (To seed them most easily, just cut out the little seed pockets. I used a paring knife.) Lay them out on a sheet pan, and coat with olive oil, oregano, rosemary, salt, and some black pepper. Roast for 6-7 minutes, turn them, and roast for another 6-7 minutes. Time may vary based on size/ripeness. Just watch for the skins to pull away from the flesh.

Tomato sauce, step 1. on Twitpic

Step 2: Chop a large onion, 6-7 cloves of garlic, and some basil. Heat some oil in the bottom of your big stock pot, and sweat the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Lower the heat and add the basil, two cans crushed tomatoes, and about 2 tablespoons of sugar (this helps cut the acid). quarter the remaining romas, and add those too. Bring to a simmer.

Step 2. While roasting tomatoes, chop onion and garlic. Sweat... on Twitpic

Step 3: Remove and skin the roasting Roma tomatoes. They’ll be hot, but the skins should pull right off. Discard the skins, and let the roasted tomatoes rest.

Step 3: remove roasting tomatoes, remove skins, let sit. on Twitpic

Step 4: Add red wine, and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, covered. This will let the flavors marry, and it’ll keep it from reducing too much.

Step 5: Add two cans of tomato paste, to thicken the mixture and add cream. You can add as much or as little cream as you like. It’s really about taste here. Stir it in, and let it simmer some more.

Step 6: add cream, 2 6oz cans tomato paste (to thicken), and ... on Twitpic

Step 6: Add the roasted tomatoes to the sauce, and use your trusty immersion blender (you’ve got one, right?) or your trusty regular blender and blend the whole mixture until it’s smooth.

Step 7: blend until homogenous, and enjoy! on Twitpic

This whole thing should make quite a bit of sauce. Use what you want now, and freeze the rest. It’s freezes really well, and to thaw it out, just cut some off the frozen block and cover it over low heat. Stir it around until it thaws, and you’re good to go.

Enjoy!