Tomato Sauce from Scratch
This is a sauce that relies on patience rather than heavy seasoning. By stripping away unnecessary steps, you let the interaction between the fruit and the heat dictate the character of the finished jar.
Ripeness is your primary ingredient
Only use tomatoes that are heavy for their size and fragrant. If they smell like water rather than earth, the sauce will lack depth.
- heavy-bottomed Dutch oven
- food mill or fine-mesh sieve
- tongs
- sharp paring knife
What goes in.
- 5 lbripe plum tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cupextra virgin olive oil
- 4 clovesgarlic, smashed
- 1 smallyellow onion, finely grated
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 3 sprigsfresh basil
Evaporating the water
Simmering at a low, steady bubble allows the water content to evaporate, thickening the sauce naturally without requiring starches or long-term paste thickening.
The method.
Sear the tomatoes
Place the tomato halves cut-side down in the Dutch oven with the oil over medium-high heat. Let them sit undisturbed until the edges begin to blacken and the skins loosen.
Process the fruit
Use tongs to remove the loose skins. Pass the remaining pulp through a food mill or push it through a sieve into a bowl to remove the seeds.
Aromatize
Wipe out the pot, add a splash of fresh oil, and sweat the grated onion and garlic over medium heat until the onion turns translucent and loses its sharp bite.
Simmer
Return the tomato pulp to the pot. Add salt and the basil sprigs. Lower the heat to a whisper, keeping a light simmer for 45 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Finish
Discard the basil sprigs. Taste the sauce; if it tastes flat, add a pinch more salt. The sauce is ready when the oil separates slightly and floats on the surface.
Other turns to take.
Arrabbiata
Add two crushed dried red chili peppers to the oil when sweating the garlic.
Pizzaiola
Add a teaspoon of dried oregano during the final 10 minutes of simmering.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Grating the onion on a box grater ensures it melts into the sauce rather than leaving chunks.
If your tomatoes are especially acidic, add a tiny knob of butter at the very end to soften the finish.
Do not cover the pot while simmering; you want the steam to escape to thicken the mixture.
The ones that keep coming up.
Should I peel the tomatoes before cooking?
It is easier to sear them first and peel them once they soften; the skins slide off effortlessly.
Can I use store-bought tomatoes?
Use them only if they are truly vine-ripened. Greenhouse-grown varieties often lack the sugar required for a balanced sauce.
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