Foodie

[dancerjodi]

So how do you make from scratch tomato sauce?

The reason I used Alton's kind of weird recipie (slice roma tomatoes in half, put cut side down on a pan, bake in oven for 2.5 hrs w/ goodies sprinked over and then mill/mush, add white wine, cook off wine for a bit) was because all of the recipies I could find online called for canned tomatoes. I wasn't sure how to get the tomato out of the tomato, you know? I come from a hamburger helper family, so this stuff is new to me! :)

The things were smelling pretty good last night after an hour but BOY did they get overcooked. Burned tomatoes produce a horrible smell. I even put the hot oregano from our herb garden in there! Ah well. We'll see how the pumpkin soup experiment goes tonight.

I feel like a defective Italian or something. At least I can make good pizelles!

Off to get some things I need for or before Dragoncon . . .

Comments

[plaidsheep.livejournal.com]

A couple different variations on the theme

The way my mom did it growing up...

Take fresh tomatoes, whole, and submerge them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes until the skin loosens.

Remove from boiling water and cool completely.

peel the skin with your fingers, cut the tops off (where the blossom end meets) and squeeze the seeds out into the sink.

Then mush the tomatoes into a pot where you've been browning some garlic and finely chopped green peppers in olive oil. If you're so inclined, also brown some Italian sausage in this same oilve oil, and remove - doing the final cooking step after your sauce is done.

Cook until it starts to get a bit pasty, then add some wine for the first deglazing. My mom would always add pasta water to the sauce to thin it (or more wine) as it got thick, if she was making a huge amount and/or was cooking sausage in the sauce. Add fresh basil, or dried "Italian Seasoning" to the sauce after the first pan deglazing (once you have a pan of mushy sauteed tomatoes/peppers/garlic)

How long to cook depends on whether or not you're cooking meat in the sauce. It doesn't really take too long - the slower you cook it the sweeter it is.

You could also use a combination of fresh tomatoes and crushed tomatoes.

A variation on that theme, the one I use most often, is very simple.

Remove the top of however many tomatoes you need (I use about 5 or 6 plum tomatoes for a big pan of penne w/sauce). Chop well. Start your pasta water going. Heat up some olive oil in a large pan. Brown some garlic (I use 2 cloves for "regular" and 4 for "don't breathe on anyone") and toss in the tomatoes. Toss this around in the pan for a bit until it starts to get mushy. Start to add ladelfuls of pasta cooking water a little at a time, and toss in your seasoning (I use fresh basil and fresh oregano from my garden). A few pinches of salt are good too. Cook your pasta until almost done, then toss your pasta into the sauce mixture and sautee the whole mess together until your pasta is "done" to taste and your tomatoes smell wonderful.

I put this particular dish together for my boyfriend fairly regularly when he's hungry for something late at night and I don't want to "go out" and get junk food. A little cheese and you're good to go.