BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

By polloazul

Ingredients

• For the base:
• 5 pounds beautifully ripe beefsteak tomatoes; or 10 cups (about 2 1/2 35-oz cans) good quality Italian canned tomatoes, like San Marzano
• 1 heaping tsp sea salt or kosher salt
• For the infused oil:
• 1 whole head garlic, cut in half widthwise, root trimmed off
• 1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves, stems on, washed
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

To prepare the oil:
Combine the garlic, olive oil, basil, and red pepper flakes in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. As soon as the basil leaves start to make “cracking” sounds, remove the pot from the heat and set aside.

To prepare the base (if you are using fresh tomatoes):
Set a large pot of water to boil. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl, set aside.

Wash and core the tomatoes. Score a large “x” into the bottom of each tomato.

Once the water is boiling, drop in the tomatoes for about 30 seconds (this may be done in batches if they don’t all fit, just be sure to let the water to come to a full boil before adding each batch.) Cooking time will vary, but basically they are ready when the skins start to split and shrink. Do not overcook. Once ready, plunge the tomatoes into the ice water.

Once the tomatoes are cooled, remove the skins by hand. They should peel off easily. Cut the tomatoes in half widthwise and squeeze out the seeds and juice. Discard along with the skins.

Roughly chop each tomato into about 1 1/2-inch pieces.

Put the tomatoes into a large pot that has a wide surface area (if you use the same blanching pot, make sure it is cold.) Sprinkle the salt over the tomatoes (Carmellini makes a point not to cut back on the salt, as it is essential to help draw out the moisture from the tomatoes.)

Turn the heat up to medium and allow the tomatoes to cook at a lazy bubble. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook for about 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours, depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes; 30 minutes for canned tomatoes. While cooking, use a ladle to remove excess water (this will vary anywhere between a cup to a quart, depending on the tomatoes. There should be liquid, but the tomatoes should not be floating in it.) Smash the tomatoes gently with the ladle while they cook to slowly smooth out the sauce.

Finishing the sauce:
Reduce the base by half to two thirds. It should be thick but still bright red. When ready, strain the oil into the pot and stir to combine.

Cook the sauce for about 10 more minutes, maintaining a lazy bubble. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick. Once the oil and tomatoes emulsify, remove from the heat (the sauce should look whole).* Either stir up the sauce with a masher or a hand blender set on low to finish.