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Month: April 2007

Salsa di Pomodoro (simple tomato sauce)

1 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 (28oz) cans of whole or crushed Italian style plum tomatoes, puréed
8-10 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
3 large sprigs of fresh basil (12-16 leaves chopped or chiffonade)
couple sprigs of fresh oregano, optional
1 tsp salt
cracked black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino

Heat the oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add minced onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10-12 minutes. Add the minced garlic and let it cook for 1-2 minutes, be careful not to let it brown at all. Add crushed red pepper and cook about 1 minute more.

Increase heat to medium, add the tomatoes to the pan and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes (slightly longer if the tomatoes were excessively watery). I like to put one of the basil sprigs and some oregano sprigs in during the cooking process.

Add the chopped basil leaves, salt, and pepper and let sit for a 5-10 minutes for the flavors to release off the heat or on low.

Note: If your sauce is too acidic, try adding a carrot to the pan while the sauce cooks and removing before blending. Small amounts of butter may also help with acidity. The quality of the tomatoes really makes a difference in this simple sauce.