Tomato Sauce Recipe
A tomato sauce is a mainstay in Italy and Italian cuisine. It is included in so many dishes that it is always on hand and to ensure that it's always available for the next Italian masterpiece. The tomato is always present in the garden, the local stores, the street markets and of course, in the kitchens.
A great sauce starts with great tomatoes!
San Marzano is the queen of all tomatoes. The true San Marzano is so juicy and the skin is so tender that it must be picked in the early morning while it's still dark, so the skin doesn't break or get damaged. It has very few seeds, the meat is tender and with the contribution of the rich soil, thanks to Mount Vesuvius, it is considered to be the sweetest in the world. The San Marzano name, because of the region from which it comes, is so treasured that Italy ensures it's validity by making this tomato certified. Like champagne, it can only be called San Marzano if it is DOC certified (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) to come from this region.
Italy was the first country to eat tomatoes in the ripest stages. In fact when tomatoes came over from the new world in the early 1200's the tomato was eaten in it's green stages. But because Italy is such a lush country the tomato flourished and ripened quickly, hence the use of it in so many of Italy's fine cuisine.
Making a tomato sauce recipe includes knowing the basics. Such as, how to blanch, skin, remove the seeds and stew your tomatoes.
See these step by step guides with pictures if you want to make a fresh tomato base for all your tomato sauce recipes. They are the beginnings of something really special!
Peeling Tomatoes
and
Make Crushed Tomatoes
Don't forget that the tomato is what makes the difference between good and great tomato sauces. So if you do decide to use canned tomatoes, here is a comparison of the best ones to use and what to look for when choosing a quality brand.
There are some basic tomato sauce recipes that are a must have in any Italian kitchen.
- Tomato Paste. A thick paste made strictly of tomato and a little salt. I like to make mine fresh and freeze them in an ice cube tray for future use.
- The Pomodoro Sauce. Pomodoro means tomato in Italian and that is the sole ingredient, other than salt and maybe a little olive oil, in this thick sauce. It's known for it's consistency, not it's spices. The pomodoro sauce is meant to be thick and rich with a BIG tomato flavor.
- Marinara Sauce Recipe. The all time versatile sauce to use for all your lasagna recipes, baked pasta dishes or by itself over a big bowl of pasta. The marinara sauce recipe is another sauce you want to make a lot of so it is always handy for the next pasta creation.
- Arrabiata Sauce For those of us who like it a little heat. Southern Italian style! Arrabiata is angry sauce and much like his brother "Fra Diablo" he shows his anger by the amount of heat in the mouth.
- Fra Diablo. Of the Devil. Fra Diablo is heat taken to the next level of heat. Delicious but not for the weak of heart. Literally! You can make seafood fra diablo, shrimp fra diablo or just plain heat on top of a pile of pasta.
Vivere, Amare, Ridere e Mangiare Bene
Live, Love, Laugh and Eat Well!
Kira Volpi
CHERRY TOMATO PASTA:
Roasted, juicy, cherry tomatoes with a blend of lush Italian ingredients. Amazing!
ROSALBA'S PASTA PUTTANESCA:
It's the best I've ever had. She uses Kalamata Olive and her husband Carlo raves about it!
TOMATO ALFREDO SAUCE:
A delicious blend of two traditional Italian pasta sauces.
FRESH TOMATO SAUCE RECIPE:AKA Salsa di pomodori fresco. Serve is over Angel hair for a light summer meal.
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