Slow Cooker All Purpose Tomato Sauce

By lorik

Be sure to leave the lid slightly ajar—about 1/2 inch—to allow steam to escape and help concentrate the flavor. Use this versatile sauce as a base for marinara sauce or tomato soup or in place of crushed tomatoes in our Chicken Parmesan for Two (see related content).

Ingredients

• 8 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and halved crosswise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Details

Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Working over bowl, squeeze each tomato half to remove seeds and excess juice. Discard seeds and juice. Transfer tomatoes to slow cooker; add salt and stir to combine. Leaving lid about 1/2 inch ajar, cook tomatoes until very soft, 8 to 10 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.

2. Transfer tomatoes to colander and let excess liquid drain (do not press on tomatoes).

3A. FOR A BLENDER: Working in batches, process tomatoes in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer sauce to clean bowl.

3B. FOR AN IMMERSION BLENDER: Return tomatoes to slow cooker. Submerge blender in slow cooker and process tomatoes until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Stir oil into sauce until incorporated. Let sauce cool completely, then refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.