Quick Tomato Sauce
Serves: 6
Callie Medhurst
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
42
Spice
37
Sweetness
43
Sourness
45
mins
Prep time (avg)
4.4
Difficulty
Ingredients:
Directions:
1
Open the can of tomatoes and pour off the juice into a bowl
2
Use the lid to press against the tomatoes to extract as much juice as possible
3
Squeeze the tomatoes to a pulp using your hands
4
Reserve the juice and pulp separately and set the empty can aside
5
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until hot
6
If using the jalapeno, tilt the pan to collect the oil in a little pool against the side and drop the jalapeno into the oil
7
Cook until light brown, about 2 minutes
8
Remove the jalapeno and reserve
9
Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 2 minutes
10
Add the garlic and cook briefly until light gold
11
Add the bay leaf
12
Add the tomato juice and bring to a boil
13
Simmer rapidly for several minutes
14
Add the crushed tomato pulp
15
Then rinse the remaining pulp out of the can by filling it halfway with water and add that to the pan
16
Add the jalapeno, and salt and pepper, to taste, and return to a boil
17
Add the dried tomatoes and stir
18
Lower the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the mixture thickens and the tomatoes have turned an orange-red versus the pale blue-red they were straight from the can, about 30 minutes
19
Add the oregano halfway through the cooking
20
Discard the bay leaf
21
Peel, seed, and mash the jalapeno with a spoonful of the sauce and pass at the table so diners can add as much heat as they like to their plates
22
Variation for quick tomato sauce: Substitute 2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes for the canned tomatoes
23
Peel the tomatoes, cut in half crosswise, and squeeze out the juice and seeds over a sieve suspended over a bowl to collect the juice
24
Chop the tomatoes
25
Proceed as directed, omitting the dried tomatoes and using jalapeno, if desired
26
You should have about 2 1/4 cups sauce
27
The recipe may be increased proportionately