TOMATO SAUCE
About 3 cups
Don’t bother peeling the tomatoes if you plan to put the sauce through a food mill. Furthermore, if you don’t mind a chunky tomato sauce, there is no need to peel the tomatoes or food-mill the sauce. For a classic, roux-thickened French tomato sauce (called Sauce Tomate), replace the olive oil with 2 tablespoons butter, then add 2 tablespoons flour to the softened vegetables and cook, stirring, until the flour is nutty and fragrant. Proceed as directed and pass the sauce through a food mill.
Heat in a large skillet over medium heat:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Add:
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- (1 small carrot, finely chopped)
- (1 small celery rib with leaves, finely chopped)
Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft, about 15 minutes. Add and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds:
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- (1 tablespoon chopped basil, rosemary, sage, or thyme)
Stir in:
- 2 pounds fresh plum or Roma tomatoes, peeled, and coarsely chopped, or one 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
- (½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in boiling water until soft, and finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Simmer, uncovered, crushing the tomatoes with a potato masher or a wooden spoon to break them up, until the sauce is thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Pass through a food mill for a smooth sauce.