The Tomato Sauce

Small pleasures. Often overlooked, simple things in our lives that bring us small pleasures make our daily lives opulent. I don't mean those breathless moments, but the moments that bring us serene smiles and comfort in familiarity. And for food, small pleasures often come from most simple recipes.

One of my simple pleasures is this tomato sauce, which I learned about two decades ago in Veneto, Italy. Although slightly modified from the original recipe, this simple tomato sauce started my love affair with Italian food and it is the root of the Spicy Italian Sausage Orecchiette recipe shared back in 2022.

While the Spicy Italian Sausage Orecchiette has layers of flavor from various ingredients and is more involved on the stove, the tomato sauce relies on one flavor, tomato, while being bolstered by garlic, basil, and salt. The salt? It helps to bring out the acidic flavor of tomato. 

Shown above with French Miso Lamb, the tomato sauce with spaghetti is a versatile companion to meat dishes from lamb to chicken. Delicious on its own, you can also add meatballs, sausages, or mushrooms to make an entree of its own. Of course, you can savor it with just the sauce and spaghetti. 

INGREDIENTS

one can of 790gram/27.9oz crushed tomatoes

twelve fresh basil leaves, sliced

four garlic cloves, sliced

two tablespoons of olive oil

one tablespoon of tomato paste

salt and pepper to taste

Heat a Dutch oven over high heat and add olive oil once heated. Once the oil is heated, add garlic slices. Once the garlic slices start turning light brown, remove them while leaving the oil in the Dutch oven. Add sliced basil leaves and crushed tomatoes, and immediately lower heat to medium. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes while stirring once or twice. Add a quarter teaspoon of salt and a couple pinches of cracked pepper. 

Stir once or twice before adding tomato paste. Carefully taste since the sauce will be hot. Add another quarter teaspoon of salt if it tastes like something is missing. Stir twice and taste. If more salt is required, add a pinch at a time to your taste. The total stove cooking time is 18 minutes. Enjoy!

ps: While I use various brands of canned crushed tomatoes and my preference has changed over the years, my current preferred brand is Mutti.