Fresh Tomato Sauce For Italian Meatloaf Recipes

CLASSIC MEATLOAF WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion, cook for 4-5 mins over a low heat, then stir in the garlic. Leave to cool completely.
• To make the tomato sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion, carrot and celery for 3-4 mins, then add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the passata and bring to a simmer, then season and cook for 5 mins.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Mix the cooled onion with the tomato purée, mince, egg and breadcrumbs, and season. Line a 900g loaf tin with a liner or baking parchment and pack in the meatloaf mixture. Cook for 20-25 mins or until a skewer poked into the centre feels roasting hot when pulled out. Leave to rest for 10 mins before lifting out of the tin.
• Serve slices of the meatloaf with some tomato sauce spooned over. Wrap any remaining meatloaf and use it as a sandwich filling for a lunchbox. Can be frozen for up to a month.

REAL AUTHENTIC ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE (NO CAN'S HERE)

Steps:

• Wash, and core tomatoes. I also like to cut the little "nub" off of the bottom of the tomato. Just the nub, and this will make it easier to remove the skins from the tomatoes.
• Place whole tomatoes in a large pot and drizzle 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over tomatoes. Place lid on pot and heat over medium.
• After about 15 minutes give the tomatoes a stir (I use a fork to do this), ensuring not to break them up. This moves the ones on top to the bottom to help the skins to become loose and to prevent burning any skins. Cover and allow to cook for 15 more minutes.
• After 15 minutes, take a fork and fish out a tomato from the bottom. Keeping the tomato in the pot, use two forks, or a fork and wood spoon to start removing the skins. If you like, you can take the tomato out and place on a plate or in a bowl to do this, just make sure you keep the juices. If the tomatoes are not fully ready to be skinned, put the lid back on and check every 5 minutes. (This is the most time consuming part, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes really simple.).
• After all or most of the skins have been discarded, lower the temperature to medium low and allow to simmer uncovered. This is simply stewed tomatoes at this point.
• Once an hour, check the sauce and stir thoroughly. Using a wooden spoon, start to break up the tomatoes over the period of checking them. (Note: Don't break them all the way up on the first, second of even third time of checking them. Break them down over time).
• After about 5 hours, smash all tomatoes with whatever instrument you can find that will work. Add garlic cloves whole, use more than 5 if you like, I DO! (Do not mince/chop garlic) Allow to simmer for another hour. (Note: If you feel the sauce has reached your desired consistency or is nearing, you can add the garlic earlier).
• After 1 more hour, the garlic should be soft enough to smash easily on the side of the pot and the garlic will literally disintegrate into the sauce. If sauce is at your desired consistency, you can remove from the hot eye at this point and go to the next step, if you like your sauce a little less runny, or thicker, leave on and continue to monitor to your liking.
• Once the sauce is to your desired consistency, remove from heat and add 1 cup of fresh basil leaves, stir. Fresh is important to making really good sauce. Salt to taste. If you like a little spice, add some crushed red pepper.

MY ITALIAN SAUCE WITH FRESH TOMATOES

Steps:

• At the stove area have your tomatoes on the cookie sheet, with stems cut and removed.
• Have a stock pot filled with boiling water and another stock pot filled with ice water.
• Take the tomatos and quickly but all of them in the boiling water for 1 minute.
• Take out and transfer to the pot of ice water.
• After a dip in ice water for just a minute, take out and transfer back to the cookie sheet.
• Peel away and discard the tomoto skin, the bath makes the tomatoes super easy to peel.
• To deseed, cut the tomato in half horizontally. Lengthwise does not work well for deseeding.
• Cut horizontally and it will create 2 halves that resemble cups, scoop out seed chambers with a spoon or fingers.
• Dice tomato after deseeding.
• Transfer all diced tomatos to a empty stockpot.
• Add all the ingredients and bring to a boil.
• Reduce once brought to a boil and let it cook 4 hours to all day if you can.
• Add medium browned meat if you desire at the end and let simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

SAVORY MEATLOAF WITH TOMATO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place the onions in a heavy skillet, preferably nonstick. Cover and cook on low heat about 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and just beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook a minute or so longer. Remove one-third of this mixture from the pan and set aside.
• Add one-third of the tomatoes to the pan and cook about five minutes, until the excess liquid has evaporated. Transfer mixture to food processor and process to chop very fine.
• Place the finely chopped onion mixture in a bowl and mix well with the bread crumbs, the beef, the egg, oregano, half the parsley, the red pepper and salt and pepper. Form the mixture into a loaf and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake 90 minutes.
• While the meatloaf is baking, return the reserved onion mixture to the skillet. Add the remaining tomatoes and the olive oil. Simmer over medium heat about 10 minutes. Add the reserved parsley and season to taste with crushed red pepper, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set this sauce aside until you are ready to serve the meatloaf, then reheat the sauce and serve it alongside.

FRESH TOMATO SAUCE - FOR ITALIAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Heat the butter and oil in a heavy skillet over low heat. Add garlic and onion and saute gently for 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, oregano, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the Parmesan and parsley. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Serve immediately.
• Makes 3 cups; enough to sauce 1 pound pasta, 4 appetizer portions.