Quick Tomato Sauce

Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

hr min

Cook Time:

35 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

3 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or garlic oil
• 1 jalapeno pepper, optional
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup drained and chopped oil-packed dried tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves

Directions

Open the can of tomatoes and pour off the juice into a bowl. Use the lid to press against the tomatoes to extract as much juice as possible. Then use your hand to squeeze the tomatoes to a pulp. Reserve the juice and pulp separately and set the empty can aside.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. 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. Cook until light brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the jalapeno and reserve.

Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook briefly until light gold. Add the bay leaf. Add the tomato juice and bring to a boil. Simmer rapidly for several minutes. Add the crushed tomato pulp. Then rinse the remaining pulp out of the can by filling it halfway with water and add that to the pan. Add the jalapeno, and salt and pepper, to taste, and return to a boil. Add the dried tomatoes and stir. 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. Add the oregano halfway through the cooking.

Discard the bay leaf. 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.

Variation for quick tomato sauce: Substitute 2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes for the canned tomatoes. 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. Chop the tomatoes. Proceed as directed, omitting the dried tomatoes and using jalapeno, if desired. You should have about 2 1/4 cups sauce. The recipe may be increased proportionately.

Tomato Sauce

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Prep Time:

25 min

Inactive Prep Time:

0 min

Cook Time:

2 hr 30 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 cups

Ingredients

• 20 Roma tomatoes, halved and seeded
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup finely diced onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme leaves
• 1 cup white wine

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans place tomato halves cut side up. Sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs. Bake tomatoes for 2 hours. Check the tomatoes after 1 hour and turn down the heat if they seem to be cooking too quickly. Then turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and process tomatoes through a food mill on medium dye setting over a small saucepan. Discard skins. Add white wine, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.