Boys, this sauce is super versatile! It's perfect for pasta dishes, chicken parm, soups, pizza, and more. Easy to make, simple to alter, and always a winner.
This tomato sauce is so flexible and easy to make. It has an all day taste that you don't have to spend all day making, but of course it just gets better as it simmers and the flavors develop. It can be left chunky or blended smooth...This is just a recipe base that can easily be modified by whatever you have on hand (or don't). Feel free to omit or add whatever sounds good to you for whatever you are making!
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
1 large onion (red, white, yellow, or sweet) finely chopped
5 good sized garlic cloves, peeled and minced (add more if they're small)
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
1 fennel bulb, finely diced
Optional: (I add for my lasagna stuffed bell peppers)1 cup minced bell pepper from the tops cut off
1 T. minced fennel greens
1 T. dried Italian herbs (can you use any combination of dried herbs that you have on hand such as thyme, parsley, oregano, rosemary, basil)
1 tsp. ground fennel
Salt & Pepper
Optional: 1 tsp. red pepper (Calabrian is where it's at!) flakes if you want a little heat
2 T. tomato paste
1 1/2 cups red (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir) or Rosé (my favorite) wine
2 28oz cans of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes (can used crushed as well)
1 cup chicken stock
2 Dried bay leaves
1 tsp. granulated sugar
Fresh basil (if wanted/have on hand)
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat up a large, wide pot (I use a cast iron dutch oven) over medium high heat. Add a couple of swirls of olive oil and allow oil to heat up. Add the veggies to saute and salt and pepper them. Saute the veggies until softened and somewhat translucent (approximately 5 minutes). Stir frequently with a wooden spoon. Make sure the veg does not brown.
Add the garlic and give a good pinch of salt and add the dried herbs & ground fennel (& red pepper flakes if using) over the veggies. Stir constantly for 1 minute then add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Deglaze the pan with the wine while continuously stirring. Allow the wine to cook down by half.
Slowly pour in the canned tomatoes (to avoid splatter). If using the whole peeled, crush them with your hands, one at a time before adding. Pour in all of the liquids from the cans, the chicken stock, add the bay leaves, and the sugar. Bring to a simmer and allow to continue simmering on low heat for at least 45 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. If the tomatoes taste too acidic, add more sugar, 1 tsp. at a time until the acidity is cut enough (don't add too much though, or else it will be too sweet). Add in fresh, torn basil if using. If you want your sauce smooth, use an immersion blender or ladle it into a blender and blend (you may want to let it cool a bit first).
Use it right away or allow to cool and then store in a mason jar or storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before using. I've never frozen it, but you could freeze it in gallon-sized freezer, ziploc bags, laid flat in the freezer.
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