Back to Basics Tomato Sauce is a wonderful base for so many good add-ins sneaking in extra veggies, chilies, olives or capers, cheese, cream, sausage, mince, seafood, and of course wine or vodka if you wish. Tomatoes may be roasted or peeled, sauce pureed or left with hearty bites. It is easy and healthy to prepare, without sugar and preservatives from the jar or a can and simple to make over fire when camping. It can be used in a variety of ways from lasagna to dipping sauce for garlic bread, topping pasta and veggies, or base for egg baked shakshuka.
Back to Basics Tomato Sauce Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and chopped
- 6 Garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 1/2 tsp. Red pepper flakes
- 1 kg. Tomatoes cored and quartered
- 1 tbsp. Oregano
- 1 tbsp. Basil
- 1 Bay leaf
- Salt to taste
EQUIPMENT
- Large pot
- Wooden spoon
METHOD
- Heat oil in pot
- Sautee onions until translucent
- Add garlic and red pepper flakes
- Add chopped tomatoes with oregano, basil (dried), bay leaf
- Cover and simmer about 40 to 60 minutes. For a thicker sauce, cook longer uncovered and allow the liquids to evaporate.
- Season with salt and fresh basil
You can choose to puree the sauce with a blender or leave it chunky depending on your prefrence and what you are cooking.
Creative Add-ins for Back-to-Basics Tomato Sauce
| The goodies | when they go in |
|---|---|
| chilies | with the garlic |
| peppers, mushrooms, eggplant | saute before the tomatoes |
| mince and sausage | cook ahead, strain in papertowel, then add with tomatoes |
| parmesan cheese rinds | with the tomatoes |
| booze | with the tomatoes |
| hard veggies (carrots, cauliflower) | with the tomatoes |
| soft veggies (zucchini, spinach) | last 10 minutes |
| cheese | last 10 minutes |
| olives or capers | last 10 minutes |
| seafood (shrimp, mussels) | par cook seafood, set aside, add in last 10 minutes |
| fresh herbs | last 5 minutes |
| cream | puree finished sauce and add cream then back on stove |
One Response