Fresh Homemade Tomato Sauce

Homemade tomato sauce is a very versatile recipe and there is no doubt that it is the holy grail of authentic Italian cooking. Making sugo di pomodoro from scratch is a great way to use up a summer glut of tomatoes. This basic tomato sauce uses just a few ingredients but the lengthy cooking gives the tomatoes time to slowly exude their sweet juices. It is important that the sauce is not too watery so take the time to reduce it down into a thick, luscious accompaniment for fresh pasta or gnocchi. Simply add a good sprinkle of grated parmigiano cheese and you will be rewarded with a dish which beautifully demonstrates the freshness and simplicity of Italian cooking.

Watch as Local Aromas Foodie Sisters in Italy, Valeria and Benedetta prepare this classic tomato sauce.

Ingredients

1 kg (35 oz) tomatoes for sauce

1 onion

1 carrot

1 stick of celery

small bunch of fresh parsley

a few leaves of fresh basil

half a cup of extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

Procedure

Wash the tomatoes, cut them into chunks, and put them into a saucepan with the olive oil. Chop the onion, carrot, and celery into large pieces and add them together with the parsley and basil.

Cover and cook on a moderate heat for half an hour. Then remove the lid and add a little salt and leave it to reduce for another hour. If the sauce is too liquid, leave it to cook a little longer to thicken.

Pass the sauce through a vegetable mill, add some pepper and check the seasoning, adjusting if necessary.