You can use tomato sauce in pasta, rice, soups, and other dishes.Making your own preserves extra tomatoes from the garden and gives you a dose of vitamins and minerals when tomatoes aren't growing.A basic sauce is easy to make and can be used as a base for other things, but you can also make variations that include vegetables and other ingredients.
Step 1: Take your supplies and ingredients.
A basic tomato sauce is made with a few ingredients.To make this easy and versatile sauce, you'll need all your ingredients, plus: Small knife Large pot Large bowl filled with ice water Slotted spoon Food processor Mixing spoon sterilized jars and lids for storage
Step 2: Cut the tomatoes.
To cut the tomato stem, use a small knife to cut a hole in the stem.Put the stem out of the tomato.To prepare the tomatoes to be blanched, cut a small X in the bottom of them.
Step 3: Blanch the tomatoes.
Blanching means to boil something for a short time and then drop it into ice water to stop the cooking process.Blanching makes vegetables more colorful and easier to peel.To blanche the tomatoes, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat.The ice and water should be in the same bowl.The tomatoes should be boiled in batches of four or five.After 45 seconds, the skin will start to split.Take the tomatoes out with the spoon and put them in the ice bath.After about 30 seconds, remove the tomatoes from the ice bath and transfer them to a mixing bowl.Continue until you have blanched all the tomatoes.
Step 4: Cut the tomatoes.
Peel the tomatoes with your fingers.Thanks to the blanching process, it should peel off easily.Transfer the tomatoes to a food processor.The consistency of your sauce can be achieved by pureeing the tomatoes a few times.You can puree the sauce until it is smooth.You can chop the tomatoes with a knife if you don't have a food processor.If you want to get a smooth sauce, now is the best time to seed your tomatoes.
Step 5: Take the tomatoes and cook them.
The tomatoes will be put in a pot.Bring them to a boil.For a thinner and runnier sauce, cook the tomatoes for 30 minutes.It takes 90 minutes to make a thicker and richer sauce.It takes about an hour to make a thick sauce.While the sauce is simmering, you can add a few other ingredients for flavor, such as cloves of garlic, bay leaf, or fresh basil.
Step 6: The remaining ingredients should be added.
When the sauce has reached the desired consistency, add the red wine vinegar and salt.You can add as much or as little salt as you want to make it taste better.If you want to keep the sauce in the fridge, you'll need to add the extra acid from the vinegar.If you want to turn your basic tomato sauce into a vodka sauce, you have to portion out 4 cups of it and heat it with 1 cup of vodka and 1 ounce of heavy cream.
Step 7: Store for later or use immediately.
If you're going to use the sauce within a couple of weeks, you should keep the leftovers in the refrigerator.The sauce can be frozen for up to three months or preserved for a year.Transfer the hot sauce to hot, sterile mason jars.The jar should have a clean lid and ring.The jars need to be boiled for 30 minutes.Cool the water for up to 24 hours.
Step 8: Blanch and peel the tomatoes.
Bring the pot to a boil over high heat by filling it with water.When the water is cold, fill a large bowl with ice and cold water.When the water is boiling, place the tomatoes in the pot and boil them for about a minute, long enough to loosen andwrinkle the skins.Put the tomatoes in the ice water with a spoon.The tomatoes should be left in the water for 30 seconds.The cooking process will stop and the tomatoes will be cool.It is easier to peel fruits and vegetables when they are blanched.
Step 9: Put the tomatoes in the puree.
Use your fingers to remove the skin from the tomatoes.If you don't want the seeds in the sauce, you can squeeze them out.To puree the tomatoes, transfer eight of them to a blender.Chop the two remaining tomatoes into small chunks.
Step 10: The vegetables should be cooked.
The oil and butter should be in the stockpot.Pick up the onion, pepper, carrot, and garlic.The onions will begin to turn golden brown after 10 minutes.The green pepper can be replaced with red, yellow, or orange pepper.A small head of broccoli, chopped, can be added to the sauce along with five to 10 chopped mushrooms.
Step 11: The tomato paste should be added with the rest of the ingredients.
The tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, herbs, wine, and two whole celery stalks should be poured in.The sauce should be brought to a boil.The stalks can be removed from the sauce before you serve them.
Step 12: Add the tomato paste halfway through the sauce.
Place a lid on the pot when the sauce comes to a boil.The tomato paste should be added after the sauce has been simmering for two hours.Continue to cook the sauce for another two hours.If you cook the sauce for the full length of time, you will get a thick, rich, and delicious sauce.The sauce will be slightly runnier and not as rich if you cook it for one to two hours.
Step 13: Before serving, remove the bay leaf and celery from the dish.
When the sauce has been simmering for four hours or more, you can remove the bay leaf with a spoon and a pair of tongs.The sauce can be served hot with pasta, rice, or vegetables.
Step 14: You can cook the tomato paste and pepper flakes.
A quick and easy tomato sauce is called arrabbiata.It is slightly richer than other tomato sauces because you cook the tomato paste right in the oil.Take the oil out of the pan and put it back in.The tomatoes will be added to this, so use a pan with high walls.The hot oil should be added with the tomato paste and hot pepper flakes.When the heat is low, stir all the ingredients together.For four minutes, cook the mixture.
Step 15: Put the tomatoes and water in a container.
The tomatoes should be put in the pan with tomato paste.Remove the pan from the heat.Take the hot water and stir everything together.Red wine can be used in place of the water.The best time to make this sauce is when you're making pasta.Reserve 14 cup of the water when you cook the pasta and use it to make the arrabbiata sauce.The pasta water will help to make the sauce thicker.
Step 16: You can serve with pasta.
Add cooked pasta to the arrabbiata sauce and coat it with the sauce.To taste, add salt, pepper, fresh herbs, and cheese.The sauce recipe can be used for 4 cups of pasta.