A good tomato sauce is the most important ingredient in many Italian dishes, such as lasagna, stuffed mussels, pizza or a simple plate of pasta. This simple homemade recipe will delight your guests!
Ingrediants
- Two 1 kg boxes of pulp of tomatoes
- A 1 kg box of tomatoes chopped
- Two 200g jars of tomato sauce
- Two 200 g tubes of tomato paste
- A large onion
- A medium or large zucchini
- Two tablespoons of minced garlic (or to taste)
- 60 ml of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of basil
- 1 tablespoon of oregano
- Half a tablespoon of parsley
- 4 medium-sized anchovies in oil
- 2 tablespoons of sea salt
- Optional: handful of raisins or pine nuts
Steps
Step 1. For true Sicilian style, be sure to use fresh herbs if possible
It is really worth it!
Step 2. Chop a large onion
Step 3. Chop two tablespoons of garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
You may optionally use a garlic press or jarred minced garlic.
Step 4. Pour the olive oil into a saucepan and heat it over medium heat
Step 5. Add the chopped onion to the pot when the oil is hot (usually after 1 or 2 minutes)
Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and transparent, but not brown.
Step 6. Add the garlic to the pot and stir to combine it with the onions
If you're using egg and pine nuts, add them now. GENTLY toast them until golden brown and be careful, as they are very easy to burn!
Step 7. Open all boxes except the tomato paste one while the garlic is cooking, stirring after opening each box
Chop the courgette into bite-sized pieces.
Step 8. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pot and stir, bringing the contents to a boil
Add the courgette.
Step 9. Add the tomato puree and sauce to the pot and stir, bringing the contents to a boil again
Step 10. Open the tomato paste box
Add it to the pot.
Step 11. Stir well to blend the pasta with your sauce
If the pasta made the sauce too thick, add a cup of water.
Step 12. Chop the anchovies and add them to the sauce; pour their oil too
This is the real secret of a real Sicilian sauce!
Step 13. Add the basil, oregano, parsley and salt; mix well
Step 14. Lower the heat and let it simmer for at least two hours, stirring occasionally
Step 15. Serve the sauce with pasta or in your favorite dish
Garnish with Parmesan or Sicilian pecorino!
Advice
- If you notice that your sauce is bitter or sour, add a spoonful of sugar or rather a spoonful of balsamic vinegar.
- The more you simmer the sauce, the better it will taste. For special occasions, start early and let the sauce simmer for 6 hours. Add some water if the sauce gets too thick.
- You can use this sauce as a base for a Bolognese sauce by adding minced veal and pork.
Warnings
- Don't forget to stir the sauce every 10-15 minutes as you simmer it to prevent burning.
- Pay attention to the temperature of the oil when adding the garlic. If it is too hot you could burn the garlic and make the sauce taste bad.
