Tomato Sauce

The original Italian recipe from our grandma

“Salsa di Pomodoro”, tomato sauce, is the classic of the classics in Italy; it’s impossible to imagine an Italian cuisine without it. We use this sauce as a starting base for a lot of famous plates like the Ragù alla Bolognese, the Parmigiana di Melanzane, Pizza and much more.

The smell of tomato sauce is one of those magical flavors that brings me immediately back to childhood. I still remember my granny selecting the best tomatoes at the market to increase a little the quantity grown in the garden. Tomato sauce was made once per year and had to last for all the family until the following summer.

I have vivid images in my head of her working for days in the kitchen, boiling this magic red pulp for hours in giant pots and then milling and milling and milling again… I can still feel in the air that sweet aroma of the sauce mixed to the basil leafs that she was adding to the top of the bottles just before sealing them.

Now is our turn to bring the tradition into the future and today, with this video, we want to share with you the family recipe. You can keep the jars of tomato sauce in a cool and dry place even for a year and use whenever you need.

INGREDIENTS

(for 1 kg of sauce)

• 2 kg of San Marzano tomatoes
• some basil leaf

INSTRUCTIONS

Please note: all the times depend on quantities: bigger is the quantity, longer is the time to get the right consistency

1. wash the tomatoes under cold water
2. cut them in half lengthwise
3. place them in a large pot and cook until they have released the most of the water and are soft
4. pass them through the vegetables mill. You will get a watery sauce
5. cook the sauce again for 15′-20′ over medium heat. The final consistency must be dense and velvety
6. in the meantime sterilize the jars: boil them in water for minimum 30′, then take them out of the water, let them dry on a clean towel
7. helped by a fennel, pour the sauce into the jars until the shoulder, be aware to keep the superior part completely clean
8. close the jars with the lids and put them again in a pan with water until it cover the jars
9. put the pot on the flame and once the water boils, leave it boil for at least 30′ minutes then turn off the flame. Leave the jars to soak until the water is completely cold

Buon appetito!