As with many of my recipes, the proportions of this one are fluid, to say the least. For a winter tomato sauce the first accommodation is the tomatoes; forget the fresh ones, no matter what they look like, and buy your favorite canned tomatoes. I will go far and wide to find Cento Italian Peeled Tomatoes which interestingly enough are now found at Safeway. I also like Muir Glen and will often combine the two. I usually have both on hand for snowy days.
I also like to begin with a winter mirepoix for a nutritional and flavor boost, but you can always go with just the onions and garlic. And depending on how your tomatoes are packed, with juice or puree, you can always add some tomato paste to thicken the mixture for pizza sauce or another dish that requires a thick, spreadable sauce.
So read this recipe and then be prepared to adapt it to your own sensibilities — but most important of all, make lots of it at one time and freeze it in quart containers and you have what you need for soups, casseroles and other wonderful homemade meals.
This is what I am making up today with the tomatoes I have on hand:
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large fennel bulb, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3–4 cloves of garlic, minced (more if you really like garlic)
Sauté these veggies in 1/4 cup of good olive oil, adding the garlic after about five minutes. Important note: You can cook the veggies until slightly colored, but do not allow the garlic to brown. This whole process should take you no longer than 8–10 minutes.
Then add 2 large cans of whole tomatoes (28- or 32-ounce cans ) and one 28-ounce can of diced or crushed tomatoes. Add all juice and puree in the cans. I use a process called "squishing" for the whole tomatoes; I run the tomatoes through my bare hands, picking off pieces of peel, removing the core and gently mashing them up a little bit. Now simmer at the lowest heat possible, stirring occasionally, for about one hour or until thickened to taste. Taste after about 30 minutes and add 1–2 teaspoons of sugar if the sauce is bitter, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Also at this time add any dried herbs you would like, though if you want to be able to use this for a variety of dishes, you may wait to add herbs and spices at a later date. You will have a little more than 3 quarts of chunky sauce after one hour.
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