Hero Tomato Sauce Recipes

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Peel and finely chop the garlic, then gently fry in a thick-bottomed pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Crumble in the chilli, add the oregano and tomatoes.
• Mix gently, but do not break up the tomatoes as this will release the pips, which will make the sauce slightly bitter - by leaving the tomatoes whole and letting the mixture cook slowly you'll get a nice sweet sauce. (You can remove the pips from the tomatoes if you want, but I don't bother.) Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 1 hour.
• Add the vinegar to the pan, then stir and chop up the tomatoes in the sauce.
• Pick the basil or marjoram and roughly chop, then add to the pan.
• Season well to taste with sea salt and black pepper, and finish with 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

THE BEST TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the olive oil and garlic cloves in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes (do not let the garlic burn). Once the cloves are nicely browned remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the onion to the garlic-infused oil and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Crush the can of San Marzano tomatoes into the pot with your hands, then fill the can with water and pour it into the sauce. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, granulated garlic, onion powder and crushed red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Finely chop the reserved browned garlic cloves and add to the sauce.
• Stir in the Parmesan rind, if using, and the basil sprig. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has deepened in color and reduced slightly, about 1 hour 30 minutes (if the sauce begins to scorch, lower the heat). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the Parmesan rind and basil before serving.

ITALIAN HEROES

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, combine the artichoke hearts, garlic and olive oil. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice the sandwich rolls in half lengthwise, and pull out most of the soft bread from the top and bottom. Spread the artichoke paste onto each side of each roll. Place layers of red peppers, arugula, salami, provolone cheese, pepperoncini, olives and onion into the rolls. Press sandwiches together, and wrap tightly in aluminum foil.
• Place sandwiches in the refrigerator, and place something heavy on top. It helps to place a plate on top, then place cans or any weighted containers on top. I used cottage cheese. Chill for up to 3 hours. Unwrap, cut in half and enjoy.

HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE I

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl of iced water. Plunge whole tomatoes in boiling water until skin starts to peel, 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon and place in ice bath. Let rest until cool enough to handle, then remove peel and squeeze out seeds. Chop 8 tomatoes and puree in blender or food processor. Chop remaining two tomatoes and set aside.
• In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic in oil and butter until onion starts to soften, 5 minutes. Pour in pureed tomatoes. Stir in chopped tomato, basil, Italian seasoning and wine. Place bay leaf and whole celery stalks in pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 2 hours. Stir in tomato paste and simmer an additional 2 hours. Discard bay leaf and celery and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN HERO WITH MEDITERRANEAN "TOMATO" SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine olive oil, anchovy paste and garlic in a bowl, and mash to form a paste. Transfer the paste to a heavy saucepan.
• Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour.
• Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Cut loaf of bread in half lengthwise, making the bottom half larger. Hollow out the halves, using your hands or a melon baller to create a shell. Discard the in side and place the tops aside.
• Drizzle the olive oil over the bottom half of the bread. Layer the tomatoes and red onion over the bread, and season with pepper. Scatter the tuna over the onion, and press it down lightly. Then spread 1/3 cup of the tomato sauce over each loaf.
• Slice 2 of the eggs, and arrange the slices over the tomato sauce. Slice the lettuce crosswise and cover the eggs with the lettuce. Then spread the remaining tomato sauce over the lettuce.
• Grate the remaining egg over the sauce and sprinkle with the parsley. Replace the top of the loaf, and press down lightly.
• To serve, cut into sandwich-size slices or slice thinly for hors d'oeuvres.