A thick, rich and flavorsome sauce that will preserve the freshness of summer tomatoes. A DIY red sauce that will give you a great base to use in many traditional Italian recipes.
Keyword: homemade tomato sauce, italian tomato sauce, red sauce, Tomato Sauce
Difficulty: Moderate
Servings: 8
Calories: 123kcal
Equipment
jar
Ingredients
4poundstomatoesplum tomatoes (see notes)
1tsp salt
4clovesgarlic
⅓cupolive oilextra virgin
1pinchsugaroptional
Instructions
Start by washing the tomatoes.
Heat a pot of water on the stovetop and when the water simmers, make an X on the bottom of the each tomato and place it in the water.
After 45-60 seconds remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon. You might need to do this in batches, so continue until you are done with all the tomatoes.
Now peel all your tomatoes. Cut them in half and remove the seeds. Cut each half in 2 quarters and remove the white part.
Chop the tomatoes and place them in a pot where you previously added EVOO and garlic. (see notes)
Let it simmer for 60 minutes covered, then for 30 minutes uncovered. (see notes)
Now you can use your sauce, freeze it, can it or refrigerate it. (see notes)
Notes
From 4 pounds of tomatoes, I obtained 2 jars. Each jar old 2 cups and 1/4.
If possible, use plum tomatoes, as their fleshy texture produces a thick, dense sauce. Alternatively, garden tomatoes are a good alternative.
To chop the tomatoes you have 2 alternatives, you can do it by hand and in this case it will lead to a chunkier sauce, Or you can use a food processor, which will give you a thinner sauce.
Taste the sauce before adding sugar, ripe summer tomatoes will not need added sugar. If you feel it is too acidic, add just a pinch.
How long you will cook the tomatoes, will also give you 2 different results: the longer you cook the sauce, the thicker it will be. The less you simmer the sauce, the more liquid it will remain. It is up to your preference, many Italian recipes call for a thicker one.
For storing the sauce there are few options: you can use it immediately, you can refrigerate it for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. You can freeze it, in this case, it will last up to 8 weeks. Or best is to can it, following the link in the post.