I like to make my sauces from scratch - fresh plum tomatoes, olive oil, and herbs (fresh if you have them) and spices. This can be used as a base for other sauces, such as meat, or as a thickener for stews and ragouts. Buon appetito!!
Ingredients
2 lb Plum Tomatoes (or 28 oz. Canned Tomatoes)
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Dry Grated Parmesan
1 tbsp. Dry Basil Flakes
2 tbsp. Dry Oregano Flakes
1 tbsp. Paprika
1 or 2 tbsp. AP flour
Salt and Pepper To Taste
I use a vegetable mill to do my tomato sauce from scratch. This separates the pulp from the seeds and inner stems which can lend a bitter taste to any sauce if left in. Most canned tomatoes tend to leave the seeds in.
Scald The Tomatoes
· Fill a large pot halfway up with water, add olive oil and salt, and start the burner.
· While the water is heating up, wash and clean the tomatoes, and either slice in half length wise or quarter.
· When the water is boiling, slide the tomatoes into the pot (so you don’t scald yourself by splashing hot water on yourself) and leave boiling for about 4 minutes.
· Turn off the tomatoes and leave covered in the pot for a while. This will loosen the skins.
· Drain the pot, run cold water over the tomatoes, and drain again.
When the tomatoes have cooled down a little:
· Place the vegetable mill over a fair-sized bowl
· Peel off the skins and run through the mill to remove any clinging tomato flesh.
· Discard the skins and run all the tomato halves or quarters through the mill until done
· There will be water remaining in the pot – add about 3 oz to the bowl
· Scrape the pulp off the bottom of the mill’s grid.
· Mix in the parmesan, oregano, and basil
· Add the salt and pepper to taste
· If the mixture is too watery add the AP
· Stir and let sit to thicken