Making a Simple Tomato Sauce
You don't need a pantry of herbs to make a tomato sauce that tastes like home. Start with quality tinned tomatoes and patience, allowing the heat to do the work that a long ingredient list tries to fake.
Watch the heat, not the clock.
Keep your heat low enough that the sauce bubbles gently rather than spitting at you. If the sauce splashes onto the rim of your pot, it will burn and taste bitter; wipe the edges clean.
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Can opener
What goes in.
- 2 tbspextra virgin olive oil
- 1yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 clovesgarlic, smashed and minced
- 28 ozwhole peeled plum tomatoes
- 1 tspkosher salt
Watching the oil break
The sauce is finished when you notice the oil separating from the tomato solids and pooling slightly on the surface. This signifies that the water has evaporated and the flavors are fully integrated.
The method.
Sweat the aromatics
Heat the oil in your saucepan over medium-low. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant, ensuring it does not brown.
Incorporate the tomatoes
Pour the tomatoes into the pot, crushing them with your spoon as you go. Add the salt, stir, and bring to a very faint simmer.
Simmer
Lower the heat to low. Let the sauce cook uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from catching. Use your spoon to break up any larger chunks of tomato as they soften.
Adjust
Taste the sauce. If it feels too sharp, stir in another tablespoon of olive oil. Add more salt only if the flavors feel flat.
Other turns to take.
Spicy Arrabbiata
Add a teaspoon of red chili flakes to the oil when you add the garlic.
Herb-Forward
Toss in two sprigs of fresh basil at the very end, once the heat is turned off, and let them steep for five minutes.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always tilt your canned tomatoes into a bowl first to crush them by hand; it’s faster and creates a better texture than using a spoon in the pot.
Avoid using a high-sided stockpot, which makes it harder for moisture to evaporate, extending your cooking time unnecessarily.
If you find the sauce is too acidic, don't reach for sugar; add a small knob of butter, which rounds out the flavor naturally.
The ones that keep coming up.
Should I remove the tomato seeds?
There is no need. They break down during the hour-long simmer and contribute to the body of the sauce.
Can I use store-bought pre-chopped tomatoes?
Avoid them if possible. Whole peeled tomatoes are packed in better quality juice and usually have fewer additives that interfere with the reduction process.
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