My favorite meal as a child was my mother's spaghetti and meatballs with fresh tomato sauce. While now this recipe is adapted to be vegetarian friendly, it still is my favorite meal to cook for myself. This is my go-to comfort food. Using fresh tomatoes makes this recipe taste amazing. This recipe is so easy to make and the tomato sauce stores well in the freezer. I usually will make a large pot and leave extra for storing.
I would highly recommend having San Marzano can tomato's in your pantry and always buying these fresh for cooking. These tomatoes make the best sauce. You can purchase them crushed, pureed or whole. All work best for this recipe.
Also, you should have a full-bodied red wine available. I would recommend a malbec, zinfandel, or cabernet for this recipe. You will need a handheld mixer or blender for this recipe.
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Serving size: 1 large pot of sauce
Total Time: 1 hour
Olive Oil
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, diced small
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can of San Marzano tomato puree (either cubed, whole, or puree)
4-5 whole tomatoes, diced medium (preferably Roma tomatoes or San Marzano)
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced (optional and can use dried)
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced (optional and can use dried)
1 teaspoon of sugar (optional and usually added to taste)
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
Parmesan rind (optional)
Wine
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over low heat. Then add in the garlic and onions and sauté for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Turn the heat up to medium-low, stir in the salt, pepper, chopped fresh tomatoes. Let cook till soft and skin are falling apart, about 8-10 minutes.
Step 3: Add in 1 can of San Marzano tomato sauce and mix. Use the handheld mixer to blend the sauce smooth. If you prefer chunky you can leave some chunks.
Step 4: Add in salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and parsley. Mix in parmesan cheese and drop the rind at the bottom of the pot. Add a splash of wine. Let the sauce sit uncovered for about 30 minutes to an hour. At this point, if you want to make this a meat sauce you can add fresh meatballs in this step.
Step 5: Taste sauce and add ingredients accordingly. Every time I make this my measurements do change. This is all about taste. Normally, at this step, I add a little bit more wine, cheese, sugar.
Step 6: Serve with desired pasta. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze up to 6 months.
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