My mom called me the other day, enthused about her super abundance of tomatoes. She wanted to start making sauce, and lot’s of it 🙂
The Pomarola Sauce from a couple of weeks ago hailed from Naples. Today’s recipe is a Tuscan classic. In Tuscany, the rule of thumb is is combine only necessary ingredients, of the highest quality, and in perfect proportions, in order to produce the very best results.
Given the fact that this recipe only has three ingredients, I think you’ll have the chance to taste a bit Tuscany, and how could that not be a good thing?
Two qualities you may notice is that this sauce is very light and fresh. It will be very different from the jar of Ragu or Classico that you may be used to, so be forewarned. I have a funny story to tell you about the difference in taste.
Several years ago, I was leading a group tour of Italy. We were in Florence on our first night, and we arranged to have dinner in a restaurant close to the hotel. One of the people on the trip, who will remain nameless, was not satisfied with the pasta she was served. She called the waiter over and complained that it didn’t taste right, and that she wanted more sauce. I guess you can tell how the rest of the trip went….
So, this is a classic Florentine recipe, and for simplicity sake, prepare it just as written. Have some hearty bread and a good class of Chianti, and you’ll be transported to another place.
Fresh Tomato Sauce
makes two cups
2 lbs fresh,very ripe plum tomatoes
10 fresh basil leaves
salt to taste
Cut tomatoes in half and place them in a high sided saucepan, do not add anything else. Simmer slowly for about 1 hour. After cooking, pass the tomatoes through a food mill using the disc with the smallest holes. If you do not have a food mill, you can use a kitchen strainer, and using your hands, push the tomatoes through. (The results might be a bit different).
Place sauce back into pan (but do not heat) and add salt to taste. Tear the leaves of the basil in two or three pieces and add to sauce.
To serve, add a little uncooked olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and freshly grated Parmigiano cheese to the pasta and sauce.
If you’re a regular reader of Making All Things New, you know that I’m a big fan of Dreamfields Pasta, which is a great tasting, low carb alternative to regular pasta. Try it once and you’ll be hooked. You will never taste the difference, and your waistline and blood sugar will thank you 🙂
photo above from Al Hurley.
