Tomato Sauce

Name: Tomato Sauce
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional); Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; 6 cups crushed plum tomatoes (two 1-pound 12-ounce cans) or, if making this during the summer, 4 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and crushed; 3 bay leaves (optional); 1 leafy sprig fresh basil (optional); 1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional); 1 teaspoon sugar (optional); ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped; Two 6-ounce cans tomato paste; 6 cups crushed plum tomatoes (two 1-pound 12-ounce cans) or, if making this during the summer, 4 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and crushed

Preparation info

Makes
6 Cups
Sauce

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Mediterranean Small Plates

By Clifford A. Wright

Published 2023

About

This is an all-purpose sauce that I use for several recipes in the book. But I also use this sauce to quickly season some spaghetti, and also spread it on a simple pizza or on top of a fried calzone. This is Pop’s tomato sauce, made by my grandfather, who was from Campania, and who never used onions in tomato sauce.

Ingredients

6 cups crushed plum tomatoes (two 1-pound 12-ounce cans) or, if making this during the summer,

Europe
France
Sauce
Starter
Gluten-free
Vegan

Method

Pour the tomatoes into a wide skillet with the tomato paste, garlic, and olive oil. Turn the heat to medium, and heat the sauce stirring; once the sauce is hot, reduce the heat to very low and simmer for about 2 hours or until dense, stirring occasionally. At some point during those 2 hours, add the sugar, oregano, basil, bay leaves, and parsley, if using.
Seas