June 15, 2014

Sicilian Tomato Sauce

Name: Sicilian Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 32 ounces
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2-3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes (crushed or peeled*); 1 6 ounce can tomato paste; 3 teaspoons fennel ((optional)); 1 teaspoon oregano; 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence ((optional)); 3-4 strips parmesan rind ((optional)); 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonaded; 14-28 ounces water (use the tomato can to measure); 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons baking soda

Let me preface this recipe by admitting that this is not an exact replica of my family’s Sicilian tomato sauce. I have added herbes de Provence and fennel here. Personally, I really enjoy the additional flavors. Adding the fennel especially gives this sauce an extra kick that reminds me of my pre-vegetarian days, when pasta sauce was accompanied by Italian sausage. Feel free to mix it up in other ways too. For instance, adding parmesan rinds is a great way to give the sauce a meatier flavor profile. I tend to make this with whatever seasoning I’m feeling at the moment. However, I do always keep to the same base of olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and water.

I have gotten into the habit of making this Sicilian tomato sauce once a month and freezing it. It can stay frozen for up to a year and be thawed for use in lasagna, manicotti, cannelloni, spaghetti, or even pizzas! You do have to be around to stir it for at least two hours in order for all of the flavors to develop well, so I would suggest making this on a weekend and highly recommend doubling it when you do.

Toddler-friendly ideas: This recipe is perfect for taste-testing and learning new ingredient names. All herbs and spices can be explored on a tray. Aside from flavor exploration, kids will explore tactile differences between all the ingredients. You can guide them by saying “do you feel how bumpy the fennel is and how crunchy the oregano is?” These are great opportunities for language growth! Bonus: no kid will shy away from a nice plate of spaghetti and red sauce, right? You’ll get a good meal out of this too!

Sicilian Tomato Sauce

Course Sauce

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Servings 32 ounces

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes crushed or peeled*
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
3 teaspoons fennel (optional)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (optional)
3-4 strips parmesan rind (optional)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonaded
14-28 ounces water use the tomato can to measure
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda

Instructions

Sautee minced garlic in olive oil at the bottom of a large, heavy pot. 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid browning.
Add in crushed tomatoes and stir to break apart any large tomato chunks with the back of a wooden spoon.
Stir in tomato paste and continue simmering. About 10 minutes.
Measure out herbs and spices. Chiffonade fresh basil. Add all to the pot and stir. (Add parmesan rinds here, if using.)
Stir and simmer for an hour. Slowly add in water to achieve desired thickness.
Add in sugar and baking soda. Simmer for another 30 minutes, up to 1 hour. Remove rind prior to serving or freezing.

Recipe Notes

*We like to use Cento brand tomatoes.

P.S. If you are going to be eating this sauce with spaghetti immediately after making it, you can boil up a few eggs and plop them in the sauce. This is– as my grandfather always explained–the Sicilian way to eat pasta, not the Italian way! It is delicious and makes the sauce super creamy when it gets mixed in with the yolk.