Homemade Tomato Sauce

Over the years, I've been searching for a perfect homemade tomato sauce. I've tried a lot of good ones, but they usually seemed to be lacking something. Some were too watery, many were too mild. I wanted a pasta sauce that had a thicker texture and more robust flavor.

I finally found one that fit this bill in a cookbook I picked up off the bargain shelf at Barnes & Noble. Italian Country Cooking: The Secrets of Cucina Povera by Loukie Werle celebrates and explains (in very simple terms) traditional Italian farmhouse recipes using a few seasonal, fresh, low-cost ingredients.

Many of the illustrated dishes are not something you would expect to see on a menu at an Americanized Italian restaurant. These dishes are the real deal, or so it seems. Hopefully someday I can travel there to find out for myself. Regardless, I'm taking the author's word for it, and flipping through the beautiful photographs of tiny towns across Italy almost makes me feel as if I am there, sitting down at a centuries-old, worn, wooden kitchen farm table, about to enjoy a simple soup and some crusty bread amongst friendly faces.

The first recipe I tried was this Homemade Tomato Sauce. According to the author, you can make it from canned tomatoes, but I prefer fresh from the garden, of course! I also liked that it called for rosemary and celery, both of which are currently growing at PSF. I never did get my onion and garlic sets in the ground this spring. Oh well. Maybe next year!

Salsa de Pomodoro Casareccia

(Homemade Tomato Sauce)

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, cut into 1/4 in. cubes

4 large cloves of garlic, chopped

1-1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary

1 celery stalk, cut into pea-sized cubes

14-ounces of tomatoes, fresh or canned (if using canned, buy Italian diced tomatoes)

Splash of your favorite red wine

Directions:

Combine oil and onion in large pot and cook over medium heat until onion browns, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, rosemary, and celery and cook 6 minutes more, until celery is soft.

Stir in diced tomatoes and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Lower heat to a simmer, set the lid at an angle so steam can escape, and cook until the sauce is thick, 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on your preference for thickness. Remove from heat and stir in a generous splash of your favorite red wine (I used one made from organic grapes), to smooth the consistency and kick up the flavor another notch. Season liberally with kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste.

This sauce will keep in the refrigerator up to one week, in the freezer up to 6 months, or you can even can it if you are so ambitious (remember tomatoes must be canned using a pressure canner, not just a water bath, for safety reasons).

Makes approximately 4 cups of sauce. Enjoy over your favorite pasta with a handful of fresh parmesan sprinkled on top!