Fresh Tomato Sauce
If the only tomato sauce you ever use is out of a can you really should consider making some from fresh tomatoes. Yes, there is some labor and time involved but the end result is so much better than anything you’ll find in a can I think it is well worth the effort. I made some the other night and it was absolutely sublime tossed with pasta and topped with some fresh grated Romano cheese. You can add meat, veggies or whatever you like once the sauce is made. I added onions, garlic and herbs to mine and didn’t bother to puree it after since I like the chunkiness of a fresh sauce, but feel free to puree it if you prefer.
Fresh Tomato Sauce
oil
1 large onion, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 lbs fresh tomatoes, skinned*, cored and coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chopped herbs- I used basil, lovage and a little rosemary- but use what you have and like.
Romano cheese
fresh cooked hot pasta
Heat oil in skillet and cook onion until just getting golden. Add garlic and cook a few minutes longer- being careful not to burn the garlic. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a simmer. Stir occasionally while the mixture cooks down. Depending on the variety of tomato and how thick you want the sauce this can take 20-30 minutes. I like to cook this in a pretty big skillet to have more surface area and cook the sauce down more quickly. If you are only cooking a pound of tomatoes this process is finished in 15 minutes or so, maybe even sooner. Add salt and pepper and the fresh herbs. Cook a minute or two longer. Toss the sauce with the pasta and finish with grated cheese, if you like. If you are using dried herbs add them 5-10 minutes before the sauce is done cooking. They need a little time to rehydrate.
* To skin the tomatoes just drop them in boiling water for a minute or so. Pull out and place in a bowl of cold water until cool enough to handle. Using a small, sharp knife cut out the core and the skins will just slip off.