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This is without doubt the easiest and most flavorful tomato sauce to make. It's easy (did I mention that already), it only takes a few minutes, and it's versatile. Mostly, I use this on pasta, but it goes great with fish or chicken as well (as a braising sauce or as a condiment). There are plenty variations; I usually make it pretty basic and let the flavor of the tomatoes stand out, but you could easily add a little cream and curry for an Indian version, or chipotle chilies for a Mexican version. One of my favorite additions is a few anchovies.
Anyhow, the key to this is the ripeness of the tomatoes. If you don't have them growing in your garden try to purchase locally grown ones from a farmer's market ('tis the season). I also add onion and garlic, and a pepper or two if I have them.
Remember, this like any recipe is simply a guide...the variations are seemingly endless. I make small batches of this throughout late summer, and in early fall I usually make a big batch and freeze it in increments. To see last years post on this
click here. Anyhow, here's how to make it (click any photo for a closer look):
Core and quarter the tomatoes (no need to skin and seed them). Dice onions, garlic, and peppers (if you are using them).
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Heat a pan with olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and peppers first, when they begin to brown add the garlic (at this point I also add a little crushed hot pepper, fennel seed, and a pinch of sugar).
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Cook the garlic for a minute or two then add the tomatoes.
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Stir the tomatoes with a little seas salt and the other ingredients and then add a cup or so of liquid...depending on what type of sauce your making this can be anything from water, chicken stock, or wine...I added a little wine and water. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook the tomatoes about ten minutes (this would be a good time to cook pasta, if that's what you're making the sauce for).
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The key thing to not skinning or seeding the tomatoes is pureeing it. An immersion blender or a traditional blender work excellent for this, a food processor does not puree it quite fine enough in my opinion.
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After the sauce is pureed, stir in fresh basil and simmer it for a couple minutes. Because the sauce is made with fresh tomatoes and then pureed, it takes on an almost creamy consistency.
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Add pasta and any other garnish ingredients you'd like (shrimp is another good option). Stir it to coat with the sauce and toss with cheese. If you are a pretty good cook the entire process should take no more than 20 minutes...maybe 30 if your sipping wine while cooking. And yes, it is as good as it looks.
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