Hi there

I live in Italy and right now we have a glut of tomatoes. I thought people might be interested on how to make the classic tomato sauce from scratch.

Put all the washed tomatoes in a big, heavy based, saucepan and add a whole onion and a sprig of basil.

Let the tomatoes come to the boil, making sure not to burn the base of the pan (I squash a few tomatoes with a spoon to release the liquid at the beginning of the cooking).

Keep it bubbling away and reducing for about an hour and then put the whole thing through a mouli, to remove skins and seeds.

Heat up a generous amount of olive oil in a pan and add a small amount of very finely chopped onions. When these have cooked add the passata, some more basil and some salt.

Let the sauce come to the boil and then lower the heat and simmer until the sauce has reduced down to how you like it.

This tomato sauce is the basis of Italian cuisine and made in this way is liquid health. It can be preserved by bagna maria- boiling up sealed jars.

Hope this helps, post if you have any questions.

Your recipe sounds delicious!

Sounds wonderful. My mouth is watering as I read.

What is "passata"?

Debra,

Passata is like a tomato paste. Kind of a cooked tomato concentrate.

My step mother is Italian.

It sounds like my Mom and Dad made it except that they ran it through the colanda or mouli before cooking it down. I guess this way you preserve the vitamins by leaving the skins on.

Sounds great!!

Your recipe sounds delicious, but where is the garlic. I love lots of it in my sauces.

Hi Everyone! One thing I've learned is that each generation within a family passes on down their own special sauce(better known as gravy in some parts)to the next generation and so on and so on....I agree your sauce sounds mucho bella, and it would go on just about anything. But to make it that true gravy, we need a little meat and don't skimp on tha garlic! Yummy...
and to all the nonnas out there, and as mine would say
Manga! Manga!(eat, eat!)
Alimento es la Vida! (food is life)
and finally
something like benvenuto al mia cucina! (welcome to my kitchen)

Mary Caliendo
Tea Editor

Your response made me smile. I just became a Nonna...and you are right the sauce receipe is handed down. I make mine pretty much like my mom did...without meat..that's what we had on Friday..back then we couln't eat meat on Fridays.
Sundancer
www.msgembroidery.com

Sundancer, Ah yes, the meatless days, pepper and egg sandwiches for me. Yes, the meatless sauce was also prevalant,and then sometimes we had the "left-over" meat sauce...mom would clean out the frig. and the left over steak, or possible chicken or pork would go in. This made for memorible dinners.

Congrats on becoming a new nonna!
Mary Caliendo
Tea Editor

Thanks so much...she is adorable...and her middle name is after me! lol
by the way, the other night...I had some whole wheat psta..freshly made of course! It was pretty good..
Sundancer
www.msgembroidery.com

Tomatoes make wonderful sauces for many vegetables as well as pasta:

Mushrooms in Tomato Sauce
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