Monday, June 14, 2010

Ruby Tuesday - for 15 June 2010


I love tomato sauce.  It's one of my comfort foods, in all kinds of weather.  But, I have different variations for this sauce depending on the weather:  it's slightly richer and more robust in the cooler weather and lighter in the warmer weather.
The recipe is easy and doesn't take all day.  This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago when the weather was warm.  The ingredients were: 

one whole head of garlic, chopped fine
dried oregano - to your taste
fennel seed - to your taste
red pepper flakes - to your taste
Lots of fresh basil, chopped
1 can San Marzano whole tomatoes, 28 oz
1 can Red Pack tomato paste
Red wine - light body like Chianti, Pinot Noir   (confession:  I actually used some White Zin because I didn't have any kind of red in the house!)
Pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Method:

In your favorite pot, heat olive oil.  When shimmering, turn down the flame and add garlic.   Stir - do not let it burn.  Add the dried oregano, fennel seed and red pepper flakes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  Add the can of San Marzano tomatoes, including the liquid.  Stir.  I then take a potato masher and mash the tomatoes until I get the consistency I want - I often leave larger bits of the tomatoes in the sauce because I like it.  Let this cook for about 5 minutes.  
At this point, I take the pot off the flame and add one of those aluminum thingies that prevents food from burning when you have to simmer it for awhile.  Then I put the pot back on that thingie and continue cooking.
Add the tomato paste to the sauce and stir until smooth.  Then fill up the tomato paste can with the red wine - right to the top.  Add the wine to the sauce and stir to blend.  Let the sauce start to gurgle and make plopping noises, then turn down the flame and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 25 to 30 minutes.  Taste for salt and sweetness of the tomatoes - I usually add a little sugar, along with salt and pepper to taste.  
Chop up a handful of fresh basil and add that to the sauce.  Let the sauce continue simmering until you feel like it's done - I usually let the sauce cook for about a total of at least 1 hour.

Variations for cooler weather:  Saute some pancetta in the olive oil before adding the garlic and herbs.  Add the tomato paste to the olive oil and cook; then add the wine and let flavor develop with the pancetta, herbs and spices.  Then add the tomatoes.  Add a bay leaf to the simmering sauce along with a washed rind from your parmesan or grana padana cheese - this does impart a richer and deeper flavor than the warm weather sauce.  Don't forget to add the chopped fresh basil!

If you're making meatballs or chicken meatballs like I do, add a ladle of the sauce to the meat as your wetting agent.  It flavors the meat nicely.

Happy Ruby Tuesday, everyone!  Click here to see other offerings for RT.


30 comments:

reg said...

since I am a guy I am a food lover, That looks wonderful. Would you marry me!!!!! just kidding.

Ruthie Redden said...

ooh, yum, this looks and sounds delicious, i just love the colour!

Anonymous said...

Jersey Girls make the best "sawce" ; )

Looks delicious!

Kim, USA said...

This sounds delish!! Happy RT!


Red is emergency

EG CameraGirl said...

This looks so delicious, Hmmm. I wonder what I should prepare for supper. :)

Cyn said...

My grandfather was born in Calabria and I know sauce. Your recipe is making my mouth water. Since you know little Italian secrets like putting the rind of the cheese in the sauce, do I detect an Italian heritage somewhere in your lineage? Or are you just one fantastic cook?

Delphyne said...

Cyn - when I was a child, I told my mother I was in the wrong home, I should be Italian and my name should be Angela. My mother told me that she would think I was in the wrong home, too, except I looked too much like my father.

So - there you go.

I love to cook and my "go to" food is always Italian.

Maybe we're related somewhere back in history!!

xoxo

Inday said...

Hi Delp, your tomato sauce looks rich which is great. Do you mind me saving you trouble in emailing that excellent recipe of yours to me by just letting me copy and paste it in my recipe file? Please!

I've been always on a lookout for that perfection as we are fans of pasta and homemade sauce to go with it.

It really really really looks yummy! My girls will be most happy to make your pasta.

Thank you very much to Ruby Tuesday too!

Delphyne said...

Dear Bonnie Bonsai - of course you can copy and paste this recipe into your recipe file. It is one of the easiest tomato sauces - and I hope you enjoy it!

There is 6 oz of wine, and even if it cooks down, be aware of that with your girls.

Other than that warning, it is good sauce, goes great with any kind of pasta and just use good Parmesan or Grana Padana cheese to serve with the dinner!

Happy RT! xoxo


xoxo

eileeninmd said...

Sounds delicious, I am going to have to try this recipe. I love pasta!

Anonymous said...

That is priceless! I do think you would be the perfect sister. I already have 3 and I believe you have your share of sisters, too.

Let's be Sauce Sisters. Kind of like blood brothers, only more fun. :)

PS, I am unable to sign into Google and am therefore Anonymous!

rebecca said...

so now i am hungry..
this sounds perfectly delicious.
and you know how i love RED!

thanks!

Snooze said...

yum .... you recipe looks wonderful.
My Ruby Redness

Inday said...

Thanks Delp, did you say Parmesan? That would make it better even more. Having said that, I feel very hungry now to think it's close to midnight. Must finish my work and say good night to you and my long day (I mean it's long night here now.)

Come to Australia ... plenty to see down under. :)

Inday said...

Oh, I forgot to say, my girls are adults and not with me anymore. But they will love to have this recipe, I have no doubt.

Thank you very much one more time. Good night.

Unknown said...

It smells beautiful to me.

aspiritofsimplicity said...

Oh that looks and sounds good. Nice and easy for the summer time.

Unknown said...

your red sauce is reminding my tummy that it's hungry :)

thank you so much for your kind comments - I appreciate the kinship I feel in what you say. The "antioxidants" insight is really profound!

Sandy Trefger said...

Oh yum! Looks really tasty!!

Sandy
From the Heart of Texas

Joanne Olivieri said...

This sounds delicious and I like the fennel seed ingredient. I will have to try this. Thanks for sharing yur recipe.

anemonen said...

yummy that looks good! Such a lovely colour. It´s warming in cold weather I suppose.

Linnea said...

Oh this looks truly delicious and the recipe doesn't seem that complicated. I usually just buy the tomato sauce ready to go, but I can imagine that yours tastes so much better!

Liza said...

That looks delicious!

My entries:
Moms... Check Nyo
Yummy-as-can-be

Maria @ LSS said...

That looks delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Happy RT!

Maria @ LSS said...

That looks delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Happy RT!

Marice said...

thats prefect for RT!

u may view mine here

Angie said...

Mmmmmmmm!!!!!!! Pity we don't have smellablog.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

It looks so red and delicious. I will have some please.

lazyclick said...

Great preparation.

Nancy B. Hartley said...

Sounds Yummy!
I'll be right over, except it's a little late, and I'm a little far away. Oh well, the thought is nice.
I think that you must have been Italian in a previous life! Happy cooking, and eating! Caio, for now!