You know that I am a "wanna-be" Italian...you know, with that good, solid
But, for all intents and purposes, I am Italian (by marriage)...
Okay, so all this at this point should make you afraid, very afraid...because basically a very NON-Italian girl is going to give you her recipe for homemade pasta sauce...and since you know I'm soooo into disclaimers, here comes another one:
The thing that you have to remember is that every time I do sauce, it comes out differently...why you ask? because all my tomatoes are different sizes and sometimes I use my big boy tomatoes and other times I use celebrity and next year, we hope to plant marzettis...and seriously, if you think I actually "measure" everything to an exact science...well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but there is just NO FUN in that...and I kinda struggle with the whole attention problem, so trying to get it just so...well, it puts me over the edge...that, and my struggle with perfection...but, that's just a whole 'nother issue all together...
Basically, this is what I start with...then I just keep tasting and stirring and simmering and then I stick some bread in and taste it some more and maybe make my self a small bowl of pasta and try it that way...all the while I keep throwin' in more stuff to make it taste the way I want...and honestly, each batch I do something different: I'll throw in sausage or peppers or use a red onion instead of a sweet one...just for the kicks and giggles...
cuz I really do get the giggles when I start making this stuff...hee hee
So, without further ado...here's my sauce:
First, start off with about 10-12 of these bad boys:
I pick 'em good and plump and a little squishy...but, then again, sometimes I just throw a couple orange-ish colored ones in there for good measure (or because I don't really feel like doing yet another batch tomorrow and I'd rather just get one huge batch done in one evening) ANYHOO...get those tomatoes, rinse them off, do whatever it is that YOU do to blanche them...(I had a whole discussion with some of you ladies this evening and it seems that I am behind the ball on this one...) basically, I just cut off the tops, drop them in boiling water for about 3 minutes, scoop them out and then scald my fingers whilst I yank off the skins...I have just recently been informed that an ice water bath (for the tomatoes, not me) is quite helpful to avoiding the scalding of the extremities...
Okay...so once they are blanched, skinned, whatever...I then strain them...you must remember that my girls like to think of pasta sauce as red, thick water...they do NOT like chunks, seeds, skins or anything else of a different texture than smooth in their mouths...and so I strain.
Last year, I used an orange juice strainer (basically had to do 1/2-one whole tomato at a time)
This year, I got a bigger one...and yet, those lady friends of mine told me that I need to get some sort of food grinder thingy...All I've got to say is that I warned you when you started reading...you knew what you were getting yourself into here...
When it's all said and done, you're going to have a big ole bowl of tomato puree/juice/liquid. Just set that aside for the time being...
Get yourself an onion...or pick two different kinds or if you don't like onion, don't use one at all (I know you are sooo loving the scientific detail here)
Today, I used half a red onion and half a white onion...cuz, that's what I had in the fridge...and I was crying already today, so I figured why not do it some more...
Get it all minced down...Man, just looking at these pictures is making my eyes water.Then get yourself some garlic and mince that down too...I use about 4-5 cloves. But, again, that depends on the size of the cloves and just how much I like garlic...
Get it all in the pot and pour in the EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) and simmer that on the stove until it's transluscent...
Then just pour in that tomato juice and here starts the fun stuff!If you have fresh herbs, get ready to go do some pruning...if not, use what you have in your cupboard or head to the store:)
I like to start with the oregano...(probably because that one is closest to my kitchen door)
Mince it all up...I do it verrrrrrryyyyyy finely because I just recently convinced the girls that the green flecks were just "flavor" and they didn't have to pick them out of the sauce.
Onto the basil...chop it baby!!!Parsley...you're going to start feeling like a regular Rachael Ray at this point...
I put about 2 Tablespoons of each herb into the sauce...a little less of the parsley, but that's just because I like oregano and basil best...so it's just whatever you like...
Stir it all up...your sauce will look a little pink at this point and have all those little green flecks floating around...but don't worry, it gets better...Here enters that "non-fresh" ingredient: I usually need to use about 3-4 tomato pastes.
I don't like my sauce really thin, but not super thick either.
I add about 2-3 TBsp of brown sugar...now, if you like the sweetness, add a little more, if you don't then just omit this part...
Being ahem, Italian, we also make our own wine...I use the term "we" loosely because basically it's Italian STallion that makes the wine and I just take credit for when it turns out well...At this point, I add about 1/4 cup of our red wine...you can use cabernet, merlot, shiraz, etc...You don't have to put much in to get the flavor...it adds that "mmmmmmmmmm" factor I think...
Then you just salt to taste
And let it simmer for a long time to cook down...keep stirring it and tasting...if you used more tomatoes you may have to adjust the seasonings...I usually simmer it for about 4-6 hours, but it could be ready in 3.
In the end, it'll look a little like this...and your house will smell DELICIOUS!!!
Homemade Pasta Sauce
Blanche, peel and strain 10-12 tomatoes
1/2-1 medium onion minced
4-5 garlic cloves minced
2-3 TBsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
about 2 TBsp minced oregano
about 2 TBsp minced basil
about 1-2 TBsp minced parsley
3-4 cans of tomato paste
2-3 TBsp brown sugar
1/4 cup red wine
salt to taste
simmer for 4-6 hours
