Santa Clara University

Tomato Sauce

The basic recipe for this sauce is one that I learned from my mother who not only made her own sauces but also spaghetti, ravioli, and gnocchi.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 small Onion finely chopped
• 6 Tomatoes chopped and seeded – Fresh ripe Italian plum tomatoes or solid pack canned tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons or so chopped fresh Herbs: rosemary/parsley and sage or basil Pepper and Salt to taste.

Directions:

1. Warm olive oil and sauté onions until translucent or golden.
2. Add tomatoes with juice and herbs, either the rosemary/parsley/sage mix or basil. Cover and simmer for about an hour. (My mother would “simmer” sauces for 4 or 5 hours over very low heat) Stir frequently.
3. Mix in salt and pepper.
4. (Optional) mash the mixture to get a “fine” texture and cook for a few minutes to reduce.

Many variations are possible for different flavors:

• For a “thinner” sauce, add some canned tomato sauce; note my mother would never use tomato paste or tomato puree because she said both had too much “acid.”
• For a “creamy” texture, slowly stir in a little milk or half & half during the last 10 or so minutes of simmering -- or until the mix evaporates.
• For “fuller body” flavor, stir in ½ cup or more of dry white wine at the beginning or, at least, during the last 30 minutes of simmering. Both bouillon and wine can be added to the same sauce, but I would not recommend adding any salt since the bouillon already has salt.
• For garlic lovers, a couple of cloves (finely chopped) may be added. Garlic should be sautéed with the onions.
• For a “Bolognese” type sauce, add ground beef; brown the beef by adding it to the sautéed onion and/or onion and garlic. Then add the tomatoes and follow the above directions.

Note: Ingredients and measures are relative to taste. The simplest of these variations would consist of olive oil, onions, tomatoes, and one of the spices (rosemary or basil, for example) with salt and pepper to taste. For example, adding garlic or wine or beef bouillon is not mutually exclusive, but adding only one of these is an option.