This is the sauce all Italians make. It’s incredibly easy and it’s not original.
It’s a riff off a chef I used to work for, but honestly… this collaboration of ingredients (it feels generous to even call it a recipe), is so universal across the pond, I don’t mind sharing the secret.
As I think about vacationing with girlfriends in Italy in a few weeks, this – and all the simple, delicious, and seasonal foods – similar to this, are on my mind.
Throw everything in a pot and let it simmer until tender and melded together. My sister loves eating the carrots out of the sauce, perfectly soft and cooked a la tomato. Confit is to “cook with fat.” Maybe to “cook with tomato” is conpomodoro.
Real Italian Red Sauce
Makes as much as it makes
As I learned the olive oil (yes, you need that much), and the carrots are the secret to this sauce. The first makes it rich, the second makes it sweet. Two things I always aspire to be.
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1, 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2, 14-ounce cans cherry tomatoes
2 carrots, peeled and halved, if they’re tiny use 3-4
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 head garlic, peels removed and whole
1 bunch basil
1 tablespoon salt, it’s a lot, taste and trust me
Put everything except for the salt in a pot and stir. Bring to a simmer and cook for at minimum for an hour. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, seasoning after each teaspoon. You may need the whole tablespoons.
Hint: 1 tablespoon = 4 teaspoons :)
Cannot wait to try to make this. Can you make extra and freeze it?