Tomato sauce?

[lil_earthmomma]

Please wise TF mamas, teach me the art of a beautiful marinara sauce. You know, the kind that makes you want to lick your plate, and has a million different applications?

My only request is that it be recipe that doesn't contain canned tomato paste (I think it tastes like metal) and no grains, please and thank you!!!

[Aubergine68]

I made and canned the Animal Vegetable Miracle sauce this year and it is really yummy.

If you're not canning, you could use fresh instead of dried herbs.

There is no oil or butter in the recipe because it would have to be pressure canned, so I add a little nice olive oil when heating it up.

[425lisamarie]

Hmmm that recipe looks interesting...lemon peel? I wouldn't make several quarts at once of something I hadn't tasted but maybe a small batch....

I find different people define different tomato sauces different. Typically marinara has a little onion, celery, carrot. I"ll give you mine, I think simple is best. I buy plum tomatoes and basil from a restaraunt supply store and make large batches but I have a small scale amount that I think makes the perfect sauce. I make everything by weight because I'm fussy about replication

2 ounces best olive oil, or butter, butter will make a richer/sweeter sauce
5 ounces carrots, about 2 or a handful of baby carrots
1 stalk celery
4 ounces onion, about medium sized
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, or one 28 ounce can
salt/pepper
fresh basil

In a saute pan add the butter/oil saute carrots, celery, onion and cook about 15 minutes, don't brown, lower heat if needed. Add tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, few grinds of pepper, simmer until very thick about an hour. Puree for a very smooth sauce or use an immersion blender, or leave chunky.

The part that makes this easy for me, is I use my vitamix. I just dump in whole tomatoes, turn it on and run until smooth. I HATE peeling tomatoes. I scale this up and make several quarts, it's just your basic sauce, and can freeze very well. I add fresh herbs as i use the sauce after reheating. I don't like dried basil AT ALL so I freeze mass amounts of pureed fresh basil with oil for winter. For pizzas I heat with some oregano/basil, for spicy sauce saute some red pepper flake and garilc in oil, then simmer in sauce. Add cream for creamy tomato sauce. For soup just add a cup of rich homemade chicken broth per 2 cups sauce, fresh basil and simmer, add cream/cultured creme fraiche to bowls.

[lil_earthmomma]

Thank you both!!!

[cristeen]

Honestly, the best "red sauce" I've made was when I had an abundance of fresh tomatoes and the tail end of a bottle of red wine. With some fresh herbs out of the garden (or freezer), it didn't really need anything else.

I also like to add some anchovy paste into the onions/garlic when I'm sauteeing them up as the base of the sauce, it adds a nice little bit of flavor. I never make it the same way twice, though.

[sunnysandiegan]

DH & I both cook very different red sauces. Mine could easily be considered a marinara whereas his is mostly just tomatoes cooked down with garlic and onion and spices.

DH makes his VERY similarly to lisamarie's. We also have a Vitamix and toss all the tomatoes and onions and garlic cloves in it before starting the cooking process. The only significant difference is he uses different tomatoes.

I make mine different every time. I always start with fresh garlic and onion sauteed in the pan before adding the tomatoes. I use either pureed fresh tomatoes or pureed canned tomatoes and then it is pretty much whatever red or orange veggie we have (red bell peppers, carrots, winter squashes - shhhh, DH doesn't know that and so on). I add different herbs and spices each time. Sometimes I add a splash of red wine vinegar. I leave it a bit chunky most often because I like it that way and cook less often than DH. DH & DD prefers super smooth sauces, so DH (main cook) does it that way. The key ingredient I learned from my step-mother is to add a teaspoon of sugar. Sounds odd, but it does something magical. I also try to let it simmer as long as possible....actually both of us do that.

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by sunnysandiegan

DH & I both cook very different red sauces. Mine could easily be considered a marinara whereas his is mostly just tomatoes cooked down with garlic and onion and spices.

DH makes his VERY similarly to lisamarie's. We also have a Vitamix and toss all the tomatoes and onions and garlic cloves in it before starting the cooking process. The only significant difference is he uses different tomatoes.

I make mine different every time. I always start with fresh garlic and onion sauteed in the pan before adding the tomatoes. I use either pureed fresh tomatoes or pureed canned tomatoes and then it is pretty much whatever red or orange veggie we have (red bell peppers, carrots, winter squashes - shhhh, DH doesn't know that and so on). I add different herbs and spices each time. Sometimes I add a splash of red wine vinegar. I leave it a bit chunky most often because I like it that way and cook less often than DH. DH & DD prefers super smooth sauces, so DH (main cook) does it that way. The key ingredient I learned from my step-mother is to add a teaspoon of sugar. Sounds odd, but it does something magical. I also try to let it simmer as long as possible....actually both of us do that.

I too like a smoother sauce, but I think adding squash is a great idea, not only would it balance the acidity of the tomatoes, but it would also thicken up the sauce without tomato paste!!!

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by cristeen

Honestly, the best "red sauce" I've made was when I had an abundance of fresh tomatoes and the tail end of a bottle of red wine. With some fresh herbs out of the garden (or freezer), it didn't really need anything else.

I also like to add some anchovy paste into the onions/garlic when I'm sauteeing them up as the base of the sauce, it adds a nice little bit of flavor. I never make it the same way twice, though.

Red wine is definitely great for cooking with! I love the idea of some anchovy paste! Yum!

I'm so excited to try making my own sauce!!! I've been avoiding tomato sauce based recipes since most have HFCS!

[sisteeesmama]

That anchoy paste is a great idea, I will be trying that.

So I make mine with the canned italian tomatoes and I add oregano, basil, GARLIC (to high heaven) a grated onion, red wine and my secret ingredient: fennel seeds, I love them in there. It's also good with capers or olives.
I like to use this to then cook short meaty ribs and ham in and then drop meatballs in there, too. It is the best and I don't even need pasta, I just eat it.....

I like all of the ideas, though, I will be trying them!

[sunnysandiegan]

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

I too like a smoother sauce, but I think adding squash is a great idea, not only would it balance the acidity of the tomatoes, but it would also thicken up the sauce without tomato paste!!!

I plan to add the pumpkin "guts" (sans seeds) from tonight's carving fun to the next batch of red sauce I make. I froze it and will puree it right before using. Mmmmm....

[Mama~Love]

Thanks for this thread! I've been wanting to find an easy, basic recipe to try.

[Vaquitita]

here is my quick tomato sauce:
1 can tomato paste (since you dislike that, i'm sure you could sub something else. i use it so that i can add lots of bone broth)
beef broth
a stick of butter
onion powder
garlic powder
basil/oregano
that's it. super fast and easy and super yummy. i served it at a potluck (with meatballs), and everyone raved over it and wanted the recipe.