Making fresh tomato sauce incorporates all of the great elements of cooking in the kitchen.
When you make tomato sauce from scratch, you see how heat and liquid break down the walls of the tomato, softening it into a pasty liquid. You also witness evaporation when the water dissipates from the mixture as it thickens from a soup to a sauce. These are keys to understanding the basics of flavor – how the almost electric charge of salt brings the sweet, acidic and umami flavors of the tomato to life and how ingredients like onion and garlic provide flavor structure against the sweetness of the fruity tomatoes.
So let’s go!
The first step in this recipe is to bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water in the pot is heating, cut crosses into the non-stem end of each tomato with a paring knife. Then, once the water comes to a boil, drop all of the tomatoes into the pot and blanch them for one to two minutes. Remove the tomatoes and place them in an ice bath or a bowl filled with cool water.
Once cool, peel the tomatoes. The skin should practically slide right off.
Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them into quarters so that they break down neatly once they’re in the pot. With this approach, you won’t make a mess when you press and stir the tomatoes because the tomatoes won’t burst. You can always scrape the extra liquid off the cutting board and into the pot when you add the tomatoes.
Pro Tip
You can use a food mill to puree the tomatoes if you want your sauce to be smooth. We prefer our tomato sauce to have a chunkier more rustic consistency.
Heat the pan for a few minutes on medium heat and then pour in the olive oil. Once the olive is heated, sauté the chopped onions until they’re just softened and slightly translucent. Once they’re soft, add the garlic and stir for about a minute until the garlic is just fragrant.
Note
You can add canned tomatoes or tomato passata directly to the sauté if you’re using one or both of those proucts. As respects passata, just about 10 minutes of cooking is necessary.
Pour in the tomatoes and any accumulated juice on the cutting board. Stir, pressing the red tomato flesh against the side of the pot while stirring.
The tomatoes will begin to break down after about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to simmer and cook the tomatoes, stirring in the same manner until the tomatoes have totally broken down and the mixture becomes saucy.
Pro Tip
Add water any time that the mixture gets too thick to prevent the sauce from burning.
Once the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce is thick, add salt and pepper to your taste.
This the point in the recipe when it’s best to add fresh herbs. We simply tear our basil but you can chop it if that’s your preference.
Put your sauce aside and cover it to keep warm while you boil the pasta.
