Basic Tomato Sauce

Wondering what to do with all those vine ripened, summer tomatoes? Here’s a quick and easy way to make use of them. This simple tomato sauce makes a delicious light and fresh spaghetti pomodoro, or can be used as the base for an Amatriciana or vodka sauce. I also use it as a pizza sauce, incorporate it into cioppino and vegetable risotto, or tomato based soups and stews… the possibilities are endless, plus it freezes well, so you can keep it on hand to use throughout the year.

To begin, wash the tomatoes and remove the stems. Then, score the bottom with an X.

Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Lower the tomatoes into the water and allow them to boil until the skins begin to peel back slightly. This takes about a minute.

Then, remove the tomatoes from the water and place them in the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Allow the tomatoes to soak in the ice bath until the skins begin to shrivel. Then, remove them from the ice water and peel the skins off the tomatoes.

Next, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the peeled and halved garlic. Add the peeled tomatoes. Cover with a lid and allow to cook for at least an hour, mixing occasionally.

Remove the garlic.

Pass the tomato mixture through a fine mesh sieve or food mill to remove the seeds.

Return the sauce to the pan, adjust the heat to low, season with salt and add basil leaves.

At this point, the tomato sauce is ready to use. If you plan to freeze it, allow it to come to room temperature, and then transfer it to freezer safe containers.