Description
This is one of my most requested food wishes, my all-purpose basic tomato sauce. Whenever I make a meat sauce, this is my base. You can only stir this with a wooden spoon, otherwise it’s bad luck.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 rib celery, finely diced
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
- water, or as needed
Instructions
- Place olive oil
- onion
- celery
- and a pinch of salt into a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Cook until onions are very soft
- about 15 minutes
- stirring occasionally. Mix garlic into onion mixture and cook just until fragrant
- about 1 more minute.
- Pour tomatoes and their juice into a large mixing bowl and use your hands to crush the tomatoes until they look pureed.
- Mix sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- anchovy paste
- white wine vinegar
- Italian herbs
- and red pepper flakes into vegetable mixture. Raise heat to medium and cook just until liquid has evaporated. Stir in tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Pour in San Marzano tomatoes and parsley. Bring sauce to a simmer
- turn heat to low
- and simmer for 1 1/2 hours
- adding a little water as the sauce cooks down. Stir occasionally.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs
Servings: 8