I've made this at least three times this summer with all the garden tomatoes and it gets better every time! Used fresh basil and lots of it and also kept seeds in and skins on. Very chunky and flavorful...especially with a little extra garlic! Also added a little dried italian seasoning. Will continue to make over and over!
This sauce is like GOLD in my cooking repertoire...used for pasta and divine pizza margherita. Tip: An easy way to peel tomatoes to remove their acidity before cooking down: Make star slits with a sharp knife at the stem end of tomatoes, place in boiling hot water for 2 minutes then the skins just fall off. I just got a big box of farm fresh tomatoes given to me so we are in heaven this week!
A lovely celebration of the flavor of ripe, fresh tomatoes, provided you make a couple of small changes. One word was most likely omitted in the ingredients: Tomatoes should also be PEELED. If not, the peels separate and just become tough little indigestible bits. Before starting, simply blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, then shock in ice water. They'll slip out of their skins in a heartbeat this way. Then, seed and dice. This step represents a big sensory improvement. Alternatively, you can just quarter the unpeeled, unseeded tomatoes, cook as normal, then pass the whole thing through a food mill. This results in a completely smooth sauce. The food mill removes all the skins and seeds. If you want it chunky, however, you'll have to use the first procedure. Another exception I took to the recipe was that in order to retain as much of that burstingly, achingly fresh flavor that exclaims "summer,", only cook for 20-30 minutes at the barest simmer. Cooking for 2 hours will result in a major loss of the fresh taste and the bright red color. See accompanying picture for a the color and texture of what this looks like when quick-cooked. A feast for the eyes, as well as the palate. As basil loses much of its fresh flavor, color, and texture when cooked, be sure to sprinkle each serving with more right before serving. Those minor changes will result in a superior product.
This was a simple and tasty recipe. I made much less sauce using these proportions: 3.5 big fresh tomatoes diced and not seeded cooked w/ 1 hot chili pepper and 1/4cup of basil. 1/2cup red and 1/2 yellow onions w/ 3 tooths of garlic in olive oil. Slowly while the sauce was simmering I kept adding another 1/4cup of chopped basil. Took about 2 hours and was fantastic.
This was good and a great use for all those tomatoes that needed used! I didn't seed them as I don't mind seeds in my sauce and like the previous reviewer I did think it needed a bit more garlic so I added some garlic powder before serving. Otherwise a great recipe. Thanks!
Delicious recipe! Husband brought home baskets of tomatoes & had to use them quickly before they went bad. First time trying this recipe & was very pleased. The only thing I did different was add a little sugar to tone down the tartness & I added Oregano fresh Rosemary Marjoram Thyme & sea salt. Very flavorful & chunky texture! This one is a keeper!
It look a long time but it was worth it. Seeding 8 pounds of tomatoes is no quick task! It tastes like pomodoro sauce that you get in the italian restaurants--very light but full of tomato and garlic flavor. It makes a TON something like 8-10 servings but that's good because my husband can take it to work for lunch. I highly recommend you try it!
I learned to make this type of tomato sauce in Italy. Italian tomato sauce is not as spicy as American versions and it can even be a little watery compared to what we are used to but nothing beats that indescribably authentic taste over fresh pasta.
My husband & I went a bit crazy with the tomato plants this year and suddenly we had about 15 tomatoes of varying sizes & varieties just sitting around waiting to rot. I decided to act quickly and make some fresh tomato sauce. I picked this recipe since we have loads of fresh basil in the garden as well. I worried this recipe was too simple and the end product would taste like watery raw tomatoes over pasta. I'm happy to report my worries were unfounded. This sauce turned out LOVELY -- so delicious. I sauteed half a softball sized sweet onion and five cloves of garlic in olive oil and added to the tomatoes in the pot (which I first blanched to remove skins, cored & then mashed with a potato masher). I added approx. 1/4 cup of chopped basil leaves plus salt & pepper & a few quick dashes of dried oregano. I can't get over how sweet this sauce is when I never added sugar! It has such a complex flavor with so few ingredients and so little effort that I cannot for the LIFE of me understand how the jarred sauces get it so wrong! This could be eaten as marinara sauce or tomato soup -- because honestly it would be fantastic either way. I did thicken it a bit with a mixture of about a tablespoon and a half of corn starch and some cool water whisked together, then added a bit at a time until the sauce was the desired thickness. This is a great recipe. I shall never fear an overabundance of tomatoes again. :)
Easy! I didn't have 8 lbs of tomatoes so I made up the difference with green peppers carrots and celery that were in the fridge. Threw it into the crock pot while I went off to do errands. The house smelt divine when I came home.
