Basic Tomato Sauce

Carrots and celery but no oregano in a pizza sauce….hmmm……… This is more of a heavy cooked sauce recipe for pasta. I stopped cooking my sauce because it cooks on the pizza. Also, basil is too strong for a generic sauce.
Here’s my no-cook I’ve been using for years and it’s very fresh and quick:
1 14 oz. can tomatoes whole or diced, drained
2 tbls. oregano
1 tbls. olive oil
3-4 or more pressed garlic
1/2 tsp. fresh black pepper
~1/4 tsp. granulated onion
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
tiny splash of red wine vinegar
Combine all in a bowl. Use an immersion blender to puree and you’re done.

Remember when you are cooking the onions to “sweat” them for 15-25 minutes. Then add the carrots and celery. Then Sweat the mixture to concentrate the flavors. After that you add the tomato paste and cook it into the mixture to allow the “paste-y” taste to be cooked out of the sauce. Then add the seasoning and cook that for 4-5 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Alas you add the canned tomatoes and bring to a boil, then simmer til sauce and oil have combined. This is the key, the sauce and the oil have to cook down and combine, this is how you know it is ready.

Can you can this sauce?

^ I’m sorry, but my comment was off. Here’s where I’m at now.

Don’t leave the tomatoes in the boiling water that separates the skin or the cold water that stops them from cooking themselves into a mush for more than the few seconds it takes for them to do their job
Crush the skinned fresh tomatoes in a bowl
Soften them 15 minutes before blending
Blend separate quantities to achieve a puree and some chunks
Roast garlic in the oven
Cook a “mirepoix” of carrots, celery and onions cut in small chunks about the same size on low heat to avoid ending up with bitter vegetables, add celery first then carrots then onions.
Simmer the sauce for about two hours very slowly to develop the flavour and get the consistency to “saucey”
Add dried herbs towards the end
*Add sugar and salt to the mirepoix and to the sauce, and adjust according to your taste, just don’t neglect them, especially the salt

Consider quitting the preparation of fresh tomato sauces, as plain tomatoes are beautiful produce with a healthy skin.

I’ve had some experience with sauce making, and trust me, DITCH THE JUICE. Pour your cans in the strainer, squish them and give them a shake so you clear that bulk of juice. I used to keep all the juice – it took an hour and a half simmering to get any kind of “saucey” consistency in my sauce, and then I just had to scoop the excess juice from the top because it was so watery. You need to reduce the juice to just what is contained in the flesh.

Another thing: don’t shred the tomatoes with your fingers. Why? Because you can’t. Put your tomatoes in the blender and shred them bit by bit whilst stirring in between, and you’ll automatically get a good consistency in your sauce.

Freezing Tomatoes:from my experience, no matter how you do it, they are always better than the grocery store brand canned tomatoes. (Please note: I use these tomatoes for soups, casseroles, hamburger chili and Sloppy Joes, I’ve never done a straight tomato sauce from frozen tomatoes). I do it the easiest way. I buy a box or two from the farm stand, cut out the core and any spots, put them in freezer bags (skin on). When I need them I run them under cold water to remove the skin and use in my recipe. The texture is gone, but the flavor remains. I only use these for sauces where tomato is an addition, not the star. Sometimes I fish pieces out to cut up more. It may be time to try this sauce from frozen tomatoes since it’s the middle of winter and I’m so excited about using my new Kitchen Aid. The tomato seeds have never been an issue but maybe this time I’ll use a food mill. AND next fall, I’ve got to try freezing a batch of tomato sauce. Elise, thanks for the great recipes and inspiration!

Can you make this ahead of time or in big batches and store it for later. I was just wondering how long it would keep in the fridge.

It should keep about a week in the fridge. You can also freeze it. Just leave enough head room (at least an inch and a half) in the jar to account for expansion when the sauce freezes. ~Elise

Have my dough rising for a pizza and have the sauce on the stove , it smells sooo good thanks for the great recipe

I have developed an allergy to tomatoes and really miss sauces like these. I was considering making a roasted red pepper sauce that is similar. Any suggestions as how to replace the tomatoes for red peppers?

Check out this romesco sauce. It’s not as liquidy as the tomato sauce, but you can use it with pasta much like you would a pesto. ~Elise

and yes…i forgot to add…I am never ever going to buy tomato sauce from the stores again:-)!!!!

Elise – I’ve joined the army of backyard gardeners who are growing tomatoes. I have a huge harvest this year as I suspect others may have as well. Can you suggest a easy way to process/freeze them for use this winter? The term “canning” always scares me and I wonder if there is a simply way to freeze fresh tomatoes without a huge production. Thoughts?

Thank you!

Great question. What we did with our excess tomatoes this summer is make canned tomato salsa. Canning tomatoes isn’t that hard, you just need to add a little extra acid. There are plenty of instructions online if you search. As for freezing, I think cooked tomatoes freeze much better than raw tomatoes. Raw tomatoes don’t freeze well at all. So, if I were to freeze tomatoes, I would score them, cook them in simmering water, remove the peels, perhaps blend them or chop them, and then seal them in usable portion containers (with enough headspace for expansion if using glass), and then freeze them. ~Elise

First:
Its all about the tomatoes you use.
San Marzano, San Marzano, San Marzano imported from Italy.

You must use canned whole peeled san marzano tomatoes imported from Italy. If not, you’re not making tomato sauce, you’re just having play time in the kitchen.

The recipe is fantastic! I didn’t use the tomato paste and it still came out fantastic. If you were going to use the tomato paste, use the tomato paste in a tube from Italy, way better than the canned American stuff.

No need for sugar, carrots gave it just the right sweetness. Plus they make it healthier.

If its too acidic, its because you didn’t use the beautiful San Marzano tomatoes!

I’m going to try what someone had suggested, adding a little red pepper to the mirepoix.

Thanks again for the fantastic recipe!