Basic Tomato Sauce

lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
Basic Tomato Sauce

Olive oil
Fresh garlic - chopped fine
Onion - chopped fine
Fresh basil - chopped fine
Fresh oregano - chopped fine
Fresh parsley - chopped fine
Ground hot pepper flakes
Salt
Ground black pepper
Pinch sugar
28 oz. can Crushed or whole tomatoes (chopped)
6 oz. can Tomato paste
Burgundy wine
Water

Whole fresh basil leaves - ripped into small pieces
Whole fresh oregano leaves
Whole fresh parsley leaves
ADDED NEAR END OF COOKING

Heat pot over medium heat then add olive oil. Add garlic and onion and cook over low heat just to softened them (do not brown or they become bitter). Add tomato paste and cook slightly. Add enough wine and stir till you reach a smooth thick consistency. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, all chopped herbs (except whole leaves to taste) and spices. Add 1- 28 oz. can of water. Stir well and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Taste and correct seasoning during cooking if needed. Add additional water and/or wine if needed, to thin to desired consistency. Add whole leaves about 15 minutes before done cooking to add a "fresh, bright" herb flavor.

Variations:
Chuck steak - brown in pot. Remove follow above directions. Lower to simmer and add the meat. Simmer till meat is tender.
Meatballs
Sausage
 

chowhound

New member
Thanks for the recipe.
I like the way you cook the paste with your onions and garlic, then add the can of tomatoes. If I add paste it's usually towards the end because somewhere along the way the sauce got too thin. And then I need to season again. I'm going to give this a try. It seems to make a lot of sense.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Real close to mine except I like a bell pepper as well as a roasted red pepper. I also use San Marzano whole tomatoes and leave out the sugar as they are plenty sweet. Once done I use a stick blender to get the right texture with mine.

Now do to the amount I make at one time I use to large cans of the whole tomatoes as well as one diced. I also use a large white onion and large bell pepper (color isn't important to me) as well as a couple of the roasted red peppers (the type that come in a glass jar in oil). I also prefer a dry white or red wine in mine which can be drank.
 

lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
Thanks for the recipe.
I like the way you cook the paste with your onions and garlic, then add the can of tomatoes. If I add paste it's usually towards the end because somewhere along the way the sauce got too thin. And then I need to season again. I'm going to give this a try. It seems to make a lot of sense.
thank you ch!!
 

lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
Real close to mine except I like a bell pepper as well as a roasted red pepper. I also use San Marzano whole tomatoes and leave out the sugar as they are plenty sweet. Once done I use a stick blender to get the right texture with mine.

Now do to the amount I make at one time I use to large cans of the whole tomatoes as well as one diced. I also use a large white onion and large bell pepper (color isn't important to me) as well as a couple of the roasted red peppers (the type that come in a glass jar in oil). I also prefer a dry white or red wine in mine which can be drank.
thanks for the input joe.

this is my basic sauce, now when i make a big pot of "gravy" i add meatballs, gravy meat, sausage and braciole. sometimes i add what my mom called coodana (i really have no clue how to spell it LOL) which is basically braciole but using pig skin instead of the beef.
 
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