Using canned tomatoes for a sauce is the perfect way to make a quick and flavorful tomato sauce, but when tomatoes are in season and the garden is bursting with them, this Fresh Tomato Sauce is a fabulous way to taste these beauties in a totally different way.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 1-1/2 cups, or 1 pound nt. wt. | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 15 - 20 minutes | 15 - 20 minutes |
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Using canned tomatoes for a sauce is the perfect way to make a quick and flavorful tomato sauce, but when tomatoes are in season and the garden is bursting with them, this Fresh Tomato Sauce is a fabulous way to taste these beauties in a totally different way.
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Ingredients
- 2-1/2 pounds tomatoes (not plum) (see note below)
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and lightly crushed
- 1/2 t-spoon kosher salt
- Scant 1/4 t-spoon sugar more or less, depending on the tomatoes' flavor
- 1 sprig basil (roughly 5 - 7 leaves or so)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Servings: cups, or 1 pound nt. wt.
Instructions
- Fill a pot—about 2 ½ to 3 quarts in size—with water and bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice and set aside.
- While the water comes to a boil, cut a small “X” in the bottom of each tomato, taking care to only pierce the skin, and not the flesh (or as best you can).
- When the water is fiercely boiling, lower the tomatoes in and leave them for just 30 seconds—don’t worry about returning the water to a full boil, either.
- Immediately remove them with a spider or slotted spoon and plunge them into the ice water to stop them from cooking further. The skins should being to pull away from the flesh. Discard the boiling water.
- Peel the skin off the tomatoes and discard. Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the tough stem end, and scoop the pulp and seeds into a bowl and set aside. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the pot with the crushed garlic, basil, salt and sugar.
- Place a fine mesh sieve over the pot and pour the pulp-and-seeds into it. Stir a little to encourage the pulp to fall into the pot, while the seeds remain in the sieve. Discard the seeds.
- Put the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer, keeping it there until the sauce is reduced by about half—15 minutes or so. Stir it occasionally to make sure nothing sticks, reducing the heat if it does.
- Remove the garlic and basil. You can either serve the sauce as is, stirring in the olive oil now, for a very chunky sauce, or pass through a food mill (for a very smooth sauce) or pulse a few quick times in a food processor for a texture somewhere in between—just be sure not to do too much as it can pump too much air into the sauce, turning it a pink color.
Recipe Notes
- Make sure to use the best, most flavorful tomatoes you can get your hands on—subpar, mealy tomatoes will produce a pathetic sauce. If you’re tomatoes are truly spectacular—and I mean truly—and you feel it would a shame to cook them, skip it all together; Finely chop the tomatoes, and mix them in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and let it sit, covered, at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or up to 8. Sugo crudo!
- If the finished sauce tastes a bit “hollow” add a pinch more salt or the smallest pinch of sugar to help give it a boost. You could also gently cook a tablespoon or so each of olive oil and tomato paste until fragrant before pouring in the sauce and letting it come to a simmer again.
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