The Best Tomato Sauce

I'm pretty sure it was Ina Garten who inspired me to create this sauce. I had made her Roasted Tomatoes and served them over risotto and they were amazing. I made them a second time, without the sugar and balsamic, then put them through a sieve. One taste and the heavens opened up. Pretty sure I heard angels singing...no kidding. Then when my son, who doesn't like sauce on his pasta, practically licked his plate I knew I was on to something. Here is a step-by-step. Enjoy! Oh, and you will never, ever eat marinara from a jar again.

I happened to use on-the-vine tomatoes for this because they were on sale, but I've used those anemic-looking Roma tomatoes too with great results. In fact, if you want a thicker sauce, use Roma tomatoes and remove the seeds with your thumbs after cutting in half. I can't wait to try this with home-grown tomatoes!

1. Cut the tomatoes in half and place on an oiled cookie sheet with a rim. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 425 for at least an hour, possible longer.















You'll know they're done when the juices have caramelized and they look like this.

2. Scrape all of the tomatoes into a food mill placed over a bowl. Use some wine or grape juice to deglaze the pan and scrape all the caramelized bits into the food mill too.

3. Process all of the tomatoes, then discard the seeds and skins that have collected inside the food mill.

4. Mince one whole shallot and saute until translucent. Add the tomato pulp and bring to a gentle simmer. Add salt, pepper, and fresh herbs. I used parsley and basil. Oregano would be good too. If I'm making pizza sauce, I use Penzey's Pizza Seasoning. (it's amazing)




5. The sauce needs nothing more and is ready to serve over pasta, spread on pizza dough or make chicken cacciatore. That's what I'm making for dinner tonight!

We just finished dinner...it was yummy!