Real Italian Tomato Sauce

[ShawtyCat]

You know, the kind your grandma would make. Fresh tomatoes, fresh herbs, lotsa lotsa garlic. Im tired of eating the canned stuff or Ragu and getting a serious case of the hives.

Ive tried using chopped fresh plum tomatoes, fine chopped fresh basil, 5-6 cloves of garlic, salt & fresh pepper, and a can of tomato sauce with a pinch of "real" brown sugar.

Somebody Help!!!

[Isa]

I tried something new last year, baked the tomatoes before passing through a food mill. It was a good thick sauce with just a touch of sweetness. It froze well and it wasn't watery at all.


I think I baked the tomatoes for about 90 minutes at about 400°F. I'm sorry I can't find the recipe right now.

[Svadhisthana]

Here is Mario Batali's basic tomato sauce. And from Sara's Secrets:Presto marinara sauce.

[Kimmie]

I am dittoing (is that a word?) Batali's sauce. YUM!

I also roast my tomatoes first with garlic cloves (skin on), a drizzle of extra-virgin...

One more thing, try to find canned tomatoes from San Marzano. If there's an Italian market or grocery near you, pay them a visit!

[ShawtyCat]

I think Im just allergic to canned tomatoes I do have San Marzano canned tomatoes but Im allergic to those too. Im going to try Isa's way by running my fresh tomatoes through a food mill. I love pasta with tomato sauce but it sucks when you can only eat the stuff once a month because of Hives! Arrrgh! Plus Im allergic to Marinara Sauce too. I wonder what it is in the sauce?? Just can't figure it out.

[Pongi]

Sometimes I realize that you Americans mean, with the same word, something that's not exactly what I mean...so, I'm not sure about what a "Tomato sauce" is for you.
1)Fresh plain tomato sauce (Salsa di Pomodoro)?
2)Fresh pasta sauce made with tomato and other ingredients (Sugo di Pomodoro)?
3)Preserved tomato sauce, to be kept for a long time in sterylized glass containers (Conserva di Pomodoro)?

Assuming you mean something between 1) and 2), those are some advices from Mamma:

1)You can use both canned and fresh tomatoes, but of course fresh are better. Try to find San Marzano or at least plum tomatoes, that are the best for sauce as they're particularly fleshy.

2)If you have time, blanch them for a couple of mins in boiling water to peel them easily. You can also cook them unpeeled, but the result is less good.

3)The other ingredients are not so important as you can think. Every italian cook has his own recipe! Add garlic, chopped onion, herbs, carrot and celery (chopped or in a wholepiece, in this case to be removed when the sauce is ready), pepper or chili pepper, salt, a pinch of white sugar...try also with a piece of lemon peel!

4)The secret is the cooking procedure. Be patient! A good Italian sauce requires alot of time. Fry very gently the chopped vegetables for AT LEAST 10 mins (until very soft) in good olive oil (possibly Extravergine Olive Oil. The quality of the oil is VERY important);

5)Add the chopped tomatoes, season with salt, pepper and herbs, bring to the boil, lower the heat, cover the pan and leave the sauce quietly bubbling until very thick and tasty. You'll need at least 45 mins or more. When the oil starts coming on the surface of the sauce, it's done.

This is the traditional Sugo di Pomodoro. If you like more a lighter, "nouvelle cuisine" type, you can fry the whole garlic cloves in oil, add the chopped fresh tomatoes, sautè them at brisk heat for 5-10 mins, add fresh basil leaves and it's done!

Let me know if you also need the recipe of the Conserva di Pomodoro...

Pongi

[kokopuffs]

SM tomatos can be purchased at the Flying Noodle. Go to google to get there.

[ShawtyCat]

Okay Everybody,

As I said before I way using the canned San Marzano tomatoes (i think Ive tried all the brands) and was still breaking out in hives. I make my tomato sauce the way Pongi described. Sautee veggies in X virgin olive oil etc. etc. It is always nice and chunky and delicious. The problem was me eating it!

So I got rid of the canned tomatoes. Although I didnt run em through the food mill....sorry. I just chopped lotsa plum tomatoes to make up for not having the canned stuff. It was delicious as usual and GUESS WHAT!!

I gots no hives! I think it was the preservatives in the canned tomatoes. For once Im not itching.

Thankyouthankyouthankyou everybody for all the help.

Jodi

Oh and Pongi,

Here is a little joke for you. When I was little and the teacher asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up....everyone was saying ballerina, firefighter and pilot. Do you know what I said ??? I said "I wanna be an italian grandma." My teacher asked me why and I asked her "You neva had s'getty an mato sauce?" I think I was 3. (I used to watch the italian cooking shows with my grandma) And guess what. I make my own fresh pasta (i love black pepper pasta) and tomato sauce. All I have to do now is wait for my kids to grow up.

[fodigger]

The problem in the canned tomatoes is what they preserve it w/ usually citric acid. There are canned tommatoes on the market w/ nothing but tomato in them that should work but if you are willing to go to the trouble of preparing fresh that is best anyway so why bother.

[Pongi]

Shawtycat,


As a Honorary Italian Mamma, you surely don't need this advice...but you can prepare a big amount of sauce when it's the best season for plum tomatoes and freeze it in small containers. It keeps perfectly for a long time.
On the other side, I can't suggest you the Conserva di Pomodoro as it contains Bicarbonate and it's possible you have problems with it.

Pongi

Hey Shawty,

If you want canned plum tomatoes try this brand ... Rienzi. No preservatives, the only ingredient is tomato! Stop and Shop carries this brand. I get the kind in the thick tomato puree and it's wonderful.

FWIW, citric acid as an additive in food is usually derived from corn. I'm allergic to corn so I stay away from the stuff.

[ShawtyCat]

FT that's the blue can right? Thank goodness I have a stop and shop 5 minutes away. And you may be right about the citric acid. The only other time I get hives is when Im taking prenatals or drank way too much orange/grapefruit juice.

I will definately try this brand and let you know. Rice and Pasta are the staples in my house. Meat is just an accompaniment.

Thanks

Jodi

Yup, the blue can. I can't tell you how much I love these tomatoes. They're sweet and firm. I've used them to make gazpacho and ratatouille (yeah, I know...I don't do things 'by the book'). They're also very nice uncooked with a little apple cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil and chopped sweet onion.

I think you'll be very happy with the results, but do let us know how it turns out!

Rhea

[Ruth]

RIGHT ON PONGI ,AND THANK YOU FOR CLEARING THAT UP .WHEN I SEE THE QUESTIONS ABOUT REAL ITALIAN ANYTHING I WHAN TO CRINGE. AND IN ADDITION YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO THE ACID IN THE TOMATOES.THAT IS PROBABLY WHY YOU CAN'T EAT CANNED OR EVEN REGULAR TOMATO.THEY ARE VERY HIGH IN ACID AS WELL AS POTASSIUM.GOOD LUCK.

[ShawtyCat]

Okay so I thought the tomatoes were the culprit in my hives outbreak. I mean it couldn't possibly be something else since I already cleared up the prenatal/hives thing by switching meds.

Guess what!? I was wrong. I stopped eating the tomato sauce in the time that I was on here trying to find an answer.....yeah sometimes I forget to take the prenates too. So I took my meds the other day and lo and behold.....HIVES!

So instead of asking you guys for a sub to canned tomatoes, I should have been asking my doc if I can find a sub for my meds. Thanks for all your help guys. Now I feel like a pest! Im gonna go to my room and be itchy now. You think something in my meds is reacting to something in the canned tomatoes?

Jodi