Thursday, November 15, 2012

Delicious Easy Tomato Sauce

This is my base tomato sauce for many dishes and other sauces.  Depending on the dish, I may puree the sauce or may leave it a little bit chunky.  The best tomato sauce tastes like tomatoes without being too acidic.  Some jarred tomato sauces use sugar to cover the acidity.  I rather use cooked onions and olive oil to add sweetness.  A good tomato sauce also has a good balance of herbs.  When I have fresh herbs, I use those; but dried herbs are a good substitute.  Measurements do not have to be exactly perfect for the herbs, but remember to taste as you go and adjust from there.  If your canned tomatoes or tomato puree contain salt, so not add any salt to you sauce without first tasting it.  If the sauce is going into a cheesy dish, the cheese will add enough salt.

Delicious Easy Tomato Sauce

What you'll need:
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 1 (14.5oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 (8oz) can tomato puree
- 5 fresh basil leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 bay leaves

What to do:
1.  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium sauce pan.  When hot, add onion and stir frequently.  Be careful not to brown the onions.  Cook ~ 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook 3 more minutes.

2.  Add to the onion mixture 2 tbsp olive oil, and the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then decrease heat to a simmer.  Simmer 15 - 20 minutes.  For a chunkier sauce, leave uncovered the entire time.  For a liquidy sauce, keep it covered.  Don't forget to remove the bay leaves when the sauce is done.  Recipe makes ~3 cups.

From here you can add in 8oz ground beef for a meat sauce.   You can add in a pinch of cayenne pepper for a spicy sauce.  You can add in ground beef, beans, and diced peppers to make a chili.  This sauce is not particularly time-consuming, but it's good to make a big batch then store some in the freezer for whenever you need it.

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