These months, all I seem to have in my crisper drawer is way too many tomatoes. When that happens, I know it's time to make a Sunday sauce to preserve for the winter months. In December when all the grocery store tomatoes don't look so great, I'll be thanking myself.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tomatoes
- Olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup wine
- Bunch of basil
- Parmesan rind, optional
- Red pepper flakes to taste, optional
- Salt
- Pepper
Preparation
Directions
Cut a small x in the bottom of all the tomatoes. Submerge in boiling water for no more than one minute, then immediately drop in an ice bath. The skin should peel off. Discard the skins and add tomatoes into a blender or container tall enough for an immersion blender. Blend until desired consistency is reached.
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until fragrant and translucent. Deglaze with the wine and cook until the alcohol smell has dissipated, about five minutes. Add in tomato puree and season again. Add in a basil bunch tied with twine, and a parmesan rind and red pepper flakes, optionally. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes to an hour.* Discard basil and parmesan rind. Serve with pasta, or cool and freeze or can to save for the winter months.
*Sometimes skinless, fresh tomatoes can lack in color. If you are looking for a brighter red color, sautee a few tablespoons of high quality tomato paste in a separate pan and add that to your sauce. It will add color and a deeper flavor.
