tomato sauce for pasta pizza etc

suziewuzie

Hi,
If you have lots of little ones (cherry toms) you might like to try Spaghetti con Pomodorini (Spag with tiny toms)!
Cut toms in half across the middle, place on baking sheet (cut side uppermost) put a sliver of garlic on top of each. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for approx 1hr 15 mins till toms are dryish but squashy (oven 150c/gas2). Cook pasta (any type). Drain & stir in tomatoes. Could stir in chilli flakes, basil, a bit of olive oil as well. Serve and sprinkle with parmesan (or whatever you have).
I'm sure this could be adapted for bigger toms.

Taadaa

Thank you very much ladies, very helpful - freezspirit, glad the cat is okay! x

moonbabe58

Really need some help with making a tasty, thick tomato pasta sauce.

Am trying very hard not to revert back to jars of ready made stuff, but whenever I attempt to make my own its very watery, thin and doesnt have a whole lot of flavour despite using onions, garlic and basil to flavour it.

Please help!

livalot

Whenever I make any tomato pasta sauce I always add at a few spoonfuls of tomato puree.... it always adds a really strong/lovely tomato flavour and it is also very cheap

Pink.

Hi moonbabe,

If your sauce is watery then you may need to simmer it for a while to reduce it. Don't be afraid to play around with your recipe...I often add leftover veg or a glug of red wine, different herbs, basically anything I have lying around if I think it will work.

I make a creamy tomato sauce for pasta using a tin of chopped plum tomatoes or passata. Fry a chopped onion in olive oil, add a clove of crushed garlic. Then add the tomatoes or passata, about half a teaspoon of sugar, some dried basil (about half a teaspoonful), half a stock cube and lots of black pepper. Let it simmer until it begins to reduce a bit. Then blend with a stick blender (not absolutely necessary but I like the sauce to be smooth) and stir in some cream.


There's an earlier thread with lots of recipes that may help:

Quick and Easy Tomato Sauce for Pasta Required

I'll add your thread to that one later to keep the replies together.

Pink

coraline_2

To make it thick, I find the best way is to add some tomato puree at the same time as the tinned tomatoes, and to cook the sauce slowly for a long time. To improve the flavour, my top tip is to add some balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of sugar (takes away from the acidity of the tomatoes), as well as plenty of dried oregano rather than dried basil which I personally find gives a nicer more rounded flavour, as well as lots of ground black pepper. If you like it spicy a single red chili fried with your garlic is enough to give a nice level of heat and flavour for about 4 portions. Hope this helps!

ubamother

I agree with the pinch/tsp of sugar. I also find that cooking the garlic and onion for much longer than you would think makes a huge difference in giving a richness and softness to the sauce. I soften them in olive oil, then sprinkle on the sugar and leave on a very gentle heat for a good 15-20 mins before you even start the slow cooking with the toms etc. in!

prettypennies

For good tomato sauce you need to start with good tomatoes. I generally use san marzano or bulls heart tomatoes.

My standard recipe is:

1 onion diced
2-3 cloves garlic minced
small piece of red chilli diced

Saute above in olive oil til soft.

Add in some diced tomatoes and a teaspoon of sugar and basil stalks.
(you can also add in some dice cooking chorizo for a bit of spice)

cook with lid on for 10 minutes and lid off for 10 more minutes.

Just before serving add sea salt, freshly ground pepper, torn basil leaves and parmesan

Mrs_Money

Are you liquidising your sauce after making it? I do this with a little stick whizzy thing in the saucepan that I've made it in.
For what it's worth, I think real pasta sauce as the Italians make it, is not all smooth and thick and "gloopy" like the stuff we buy (or don't!) in jars. The jar stuff often has thickener and stuff like "modified starch" in it to make it thick.
I always use this recipe HERE.

Good luck and good eating!

determinedtodothis

My aunt is italian - tom puree about 2 table spoons