IN THIS EXTRACT FROM:BUILDERS & BANQUETS- SIMPLE ITALIAN COOKING,
WE OFFER THE MOST FAMOUS OF ITALIAN PASTA SAUCES –
SUGO DI POMODORO- TOMATO SAUCE, THE FOUNDATION OF A CULTURE.
Tomato sauces are used all over the Mediterranean, and form a very important base for many recipes which in turn form part of what is considered one of the healthiest diets in the world, the Mediterranean diet. No Italian family can consider itself respectable if it doesn’t have its own recipe passed down from grandmothers for generations, it is the most basic of Italian foods, and its versatility has been one of the building blocks of Italian cooking, do not be surprised by adverse reactions when you tell an Italian that you buy a ready-made tomato sauce from the supermarket, it will not help you if it is an Italian make either….you have been warned!
This tomato sauce recipe known universally throughout Italy simply as SUGO, and is the one that Italians traditionally make at the end of the summer with the tomato crop and prices at their lowest, (although in reality nowadays the high quality tinned tomatoes mean that it can be made any time of the year), in every self respecting larder and cantina you will find jars and jars of the stuff, this recipe was passed down to my late Nonna Antonia, my fathers’ mother, then to my own mother, and to us, we will pass it down to our children, and they will to theirs…..it is very simple, and when you eventually get it right, there’s no turning back to ready-made sauces, it is insuperable. You may need to try it a few times before you stick the spoon in your mouth to taste and feel that genuine Italian taste tingle your taste receptors! It will have your Italian guests crying over their long lost Nonna, it should carry an emotional health warning it’s so good!
FOR THIS RECIPE YOU WILL NEED A VEGETABLE MILL
Preparation time : 30 minutes, includes passing through vegetable mill after cooking.
Cooking time: 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
Extra virgin olive oil,
1 clove garlic, chopped.
1 onion, chopped.
Parsley chopped or dried
2 carrots, chopped.
2 sticks of celery, chopped.
2kgof chopped tomatoes, (canned are really good, although you may need to experiment to find the sweeter ones) Fresh are even better, but they will need to be the best for the purpose, San Marzano are the classic ones used in Italy).
Salt, Basil, Oregano,
METHOD
Lightly fry the onion and the garlic in a splash of olive oil, once they are sizzling over a low to medium heat, add in a teaspoon of parsley, the chopped carrots, celery and finally the chopped tomatoes. DO NOT ADD ANY LIQUIDS – THE TOMATOES WILL RELEASE ENOUGH. Add a small bunch of fresh basil, and a sprinkling of oregano, dried is fine. Allow to slowly simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally so as it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. At this point you will need a passaverdure, (vegetable mill) you need to pass the whole mixture through the mill, this will grind down the vegetables to a pulp, perfect as a condiment for pasta. Once done, salt to taste and your sugo is ready.
Consistency, this should be the thickness of a thick milk shake! Pourable, but not too liquid like milk.
This tomato sauce is the base for many recipes and makes a real difference to taste in every dish for which you use it as a base. It is perfect as a condiment for pasta on its own, just sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan or Grana padano over the top of a steaming plate of pasta dressed with your own “sugo di pomodorro”. To store put into old margarine tubs, which are plenty big enough for a portion for 2 people, and freeze
COURTESY OF:
BUILDERS & BANQUETS, SIMPLE ITALIAN COOKING,
AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM
BESPOKE ITALIAN 