Basic Tomato Sauce
This is more of a basic guideline for tomato sauce. Also, the final yield will depend on your tomatoes and how long you reduce the sauce. You will, for sure, get at least a quart.
6 lbs. tomatoes, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tin tomato paste
2 Tbsp. dried oregano or 3 tsp. fresh, chopped
1/4 cup red wine (optional)
1 Tbsp. fish sauce or equal amount of anchovy paste
In a large nonreactive pot, sauté onions and garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil until translucent, about 10 minutes over low heat. Add chopped tomatoes, herbs, and a tin of tomato paste, stir, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to very low and simmer, stirring occasionally for a few hours.
At any point add the wine and fish sauce and continue cooking. Taste for seasoning. If this is to be served immediately, add some fresh chopped basil and parsley. If it is to be frozen, bring to room temperature, then pack and freeze and label. Add the fresh herbs when you defrost to prepare again.
Puttanesca Sauce
From this simple mother tomato sauce you can then make a zesty puttanesca sauce. This recipe is from Amy Goldman’s book “The Heirloom Tomato.”
Makes enough for eight portions.
1 quart of marinara or plain tomato sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
8 anchovies, chopped
3 Tbsp. capers, rinsed and chopped
1/4 cup Nicoise olives, pitted
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Gently heat olive oil in large sauce pot. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, anchovies, salt, and pepper. Stir and mash until anchovies have melted in the olive oil and you can smell garlic. Add tomato sauce, capers, and olives.
Cook gently for about 20 minutes, then serve over pasta and top with chopped basil and parsley.