Amanda A-mangia: Authentic Italian cooked tomato sauce
This simple, but delicious basic Italian tomato sauce can be served with a variety of dishes.
The Italian mamma and nonna who taught me to cook Italian food were adamant that South African tomatoes were not right for Italian tomato sauces. For that reason they only used canned tomatoes imported from Italy for their sauces.
A mixture of butter and olive oil gives the sauce extra richness
A whole onion and carrot added to the sauce while it simmers adds natural sweetness and complexity without overwhelming it with extra flavours. Remove them at the end of cooking.
INGREDIENTS
1 tin of imported Italian tomatoes (chopped)
¼ cup of olive oil
1 Tbls of butter (optional)
1 onion, whole peeled
1 carrot, whole peeled
3 garlic cloves, crushed
fresh herb such as fresh Italian parsley or fresh basil
sea salt and black pepper to taste
METHOD
Lightly fry the garlic in the olive oil on a medium to low heat for 2 to 3 minutes in a saucepan.
Add the tomatoes and half a can of water depending on the thickness of the tomatoes. Add the onion and carrot.
Simmer on a low heat, semi-covered with a lid, for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Adjust cooking time if necessary. Remove the onion and carrot. Use a masher to break up the tomatoes for a sauce with as much texture as you prefer. Blending the sauce makes it too smooth.
The sauce can be served as a simple, but delicious pasta sauce, or with fish, meatballs, vegetables or couscous.
