Salsicce Al Pomodoro Recipes

SUGO DI POMODORO (AUTHENTIC ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook and stir until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add passata, basil, and salt. Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tomato sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove garlic halves before serving.

SALSICCE AL POMODORO

Steps:

• Divide the sausage into links, if necessary, and prick them in several places with the point of a sharp knife. Arrange the links in a deep 10-inch skillet or sauté pan and place over medium heat with the olive oil. Turn the sausage in the hot pan and, as some fat accumulates, increase the heat slightly and brown the sausage lightly all over. This takes about 10 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary so the fat and the eventual brown film in the pan do not burn. Pour or spoon off all the fat in the pan.
• Pass the tomatoes through a food mill directly into the pan with the sausage. Season with hot pepper flakes. Salt is generally not necessary because the sausages are well seasoned. Simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes, until the sausages are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
• Use the sauce for spaghetti or ziti (there should be enough for 12 ounces) and pass the grated cheese. Serve the sausage as a separate course with broccoli, broccoli di rapa, spinach, or another green vegetable.

PASTA AL POMODORO

Steps:

• Add the olive oil and garlic to a large Dutch oven or high-sided skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook the garlic, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly golden, and small rapid bubbles form around the cloves, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pot and discard (or eat).
• Carefully and gently lower the chopped tomatoes into the hot oil and cook, stirring constantly, until the tomatoes let off some liquid and the sauce starts to bubble steadily. Season generously with salt. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce reduces significantly, about 40 minutes.
• Set a metal sieve, strainer or food mill over a medium bowl. Carefully pour in the tomato sauce. If using a sieve or strainer, push the sauce through with a spoon or flexible spatula, until all that remains are seeds and skins. Be sure to repeatedly scrape off the valuable pulp collecting on the bottom of the sieve (by holding the sieve down against the edge of the bowl and pulling it back). You should have about 2 cups of sauce in the bowl. Taste and add more salt, if needed, then return the sauce to the Dutch oven.
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce.
• Turn the heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce reduces slightly and the pasta is well coated but not drowned in the sauce, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit so the pasta can absorb the sauce further, about 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.