fresh tomato sauce

My husband didn't get his weekly allotment of pasta last week. As I was off today, I swung by Matt's Farm and Garden Center in  Wall Township, and picked up three pounds of plum tomatoes. My basil is looking good in the garden and garlic is a pantry staple so I was ready to cook away!

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While I was preparing the sauce, I got the pot of water on the for pasta. I had taken the meatballs out of the freezer and plopped them in into the pot of tomatoes as they were cooking down. Before I knew it, the tomatoes cooked enough to be run through the food mill and the water was boiling for the pasta. I lowered heat on the water to a simmer until the tomato sauce was strained. Once I had run the tomatoes through the food mill, the sauce had to cook for 15 more minutes or so. This gave me enough time to get the pasta done. 
All in all, in about 45 minutes or so, we had pasta with fresh tomato sauce. Yum!

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​Sugo Di Pomodoro
Smooth Tomato Sauce – From Fresh Tomatoes
By Arthur Schwartz
“Naples at Table” © 1998 Harper Collins
  
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
Or 2 large cloves garlic**, lightly smashed
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, peeled or not, and cut into large chunks
½ cup (packed) whole basil leaves
1 Tbsp**. salt, or to taste (see note below)
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

1. If making sauce with onion, place the onion and the oil in a 6- to 8-quart pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until the onion is tender and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. If using garlic, combine the garlic and oil in a 6- to 8-quart pot over low heat and cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil a couple of times to release its flavor, until it barely begins to color on both sides. Remove the garlic.  
2. Stir in the tomato chunks, increase the heat slightly and, stirring occasionally, cook until the tomatoes have collapsed into a mush, about 20 minutes.
3. Puree the sauce in a food mill, then return it to the pot. Tear the basil leaves into the sauce and add the salt and hot red pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium and, stirring occasionally, simmer for another 5 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. The timing will depend on the moisture content of the tomatoes.  

To store: the sauce can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 10 months, at least until the next tomato harvest.
 
**Donna’s Notes: I make my sauce with garlic. Although the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of salt,  I use 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and adjust accordingly. To puree, use a food mill, not a blender or VitaMix, as it will change the taste and consistency of the sauce. Food mills can be found at WalMart or at Williams-Sonoma. You can also try using a stainless-steel colander or large strainer placed over a large bowl or pot and press on the solids to separate out the liquids. 

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