Tomato Base Sauces

Here we will talk about that luscious fruit, the tomato, and what wonderful sauces can be made from this indispensable little love apple.

The tomato originated in the Americas.  In the pre-Colombian era, the "old world" didn't have tomatoes.  But in the past several hundred years, the versatile little globe of joy has traveled around the world and found fans in widespread cuisines, as the backbone of many kinds of sauces from Mexican to Chinese to Indian to Italian.

Here, we will look at an Italianesque style of cooking a tomato sauce... or more specifically, American-Italianesque.

The Simplest Sauce

When it comes right down to it, the simplest sauce would just be a tomato, stewed in some water.  Even from that humblest beginning, adding some fresh garlic, a pinch of sea salt, and a drop or ten of good olive oil will render an amazing culinary delight.

When you don't have the time to use fresh tomatoes, using a good quality canned, diced tomato is an option.  Since we want to focus on quicker recipes in some cases, canned is certainly acceptable here.

Super Easy Sauce

• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
• 1 clove garlic (optional)
• 1/2 cup red wine (optional)

Another super easy sauce can be made by taking a can of diced tomatoes, putting it into a sauce pot, adding a table spoon of olive oil, a table spoon of oregano, and a table spoon of basil (both dried).  As an option, adding a clove of diced garlic and a half cup of red wine and a teaspoon of vinegar will take this sauce a bit further in the taste department.

Moving Up The Ladder Of Complexity

Taking our basic sauce a bit higher in complexity, start with a mirepoix (2 parts onion, 1 part celery, 1 part carrot) and sautee it until the onion is translucent in olive oil on a low heat.  Once the onion is translucent, add a clove of diced garlic.  To this add a cup of red wine, two Bay leaves, 1 tablespoon oregano and 1 tablespoon basil.  Then add a can of diced tomatoes.  Bring mix to a boil.  As soon as it reaches boil, cut the heat to low, simmer for 5 minutes, and turn off.

If you are using it for a pasta sauce, put over freshly boiled and drained pasta immediately.  Otherwise cool then refrigerate until needed.

Increase the proportions accordingly if you are making larger amounts of sauce (e.g. 3 cups of tomatoes, triple the above ingredients.)

In upcoming posts, well take our trip down tomato lane on more twists and turns, but we'll use these three sauces in some form or fashion as our base.

Until then,
Cook With Love.



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