Basic Tomato Sauce for Pizzas and Pastas

Broiled Tomato Sauce

A basic tomato sauce recipe is essential for any home cook and the cornerstone of a variety of dishes. My version eschews the use of pre-stewed, canned tomatoes (and their canny taste), and ,instead, relies on all fresh ingredients for a more vibrant flavor.

But don’t fret, friends; this recipe is still very simple. By broiling your tomatoes, you will be able to cook and peel them in one go, and you will be enjoying delicious red sauce on your pizzas and pastas within the hour.

This is an easy recipe that will add depth of flavor to your dishes and can be modified with additional/alternative spices to suit your palate.

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE RECIPE

6 Roma tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 medium sweet onion - diced

2 cloves of garlic – minced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon lime juice

(1/2 cup of vegetable stock, for a thinner sauce)

METHOD

Set your oven to broil, line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, put the tomatoes on the cookie sheet, and place them on the middle rack in the oven. Broil for fifteen minutes, until the skin starts to blacken and shrivel. Remove the cookie sheet to a hot-pad, flip each tomato, and place them back in the oven. Broil for another ten minutes, remove, and allow them to cool.

While the tomatoes are cooling, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over the stove on medium-high heat. Add the dried basil and paprika to the oil and fry until fragrant. Add the diced onion and sauté until lightly browned – about ten minutes. Add the garlic, and continue to sauté until it is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the onions and garlic from heat.

Remove the skins from the tomatoes and place them in the bowl of a food processor, along with the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Puree until smooth. For a thinner sauce, add the 1/2 cup of vegetable stock and puree until smooth.

Eat with a chip?