Tomatoes are one of the staples of Mediterranean cuisine. They give dishes that wonderful, savory, sweet and aromatic flavour. I grew up in mild Mediterranean climate and just about everybody in my hometown had a vegetable garden and grew tomatoes. From early childhood I got to like very much this sweet, richly colored red berry and its fragrant plant. There was something romantic and homey about it. Early morning, before the summer heat sets in was a prime time to water tomatoes. Vegetable gardens were in most cases located 50-60 meters in front of the houses. Stretched, leaky water-hoses sneaking across to neighboring gardens was a common morning scene. When I was little, I use to play in the puddles created by these leaks or walk the hoses and search for a different spray patterns, streaming through numerous band patches.
I like tomatoes in any shape and form; freshly cut and salted, in soups and sauces. My childhood favorite dinner during hot summer days was a light stew called “Sataras”. My mother used to whip it together in no time. After cut onions are sweated and translucent, peppers and ripe tomatoes are added. Over the low heat it was cooked until all liquid evaporated and everything melted together. At the end few eggs were whipped and stirred in. It was served immediately, hot, with freshly baked bread. I can steel feel that rich, tongue biting tomato flavour, even today.
I tried to grow tomatoes at my home in Ontario. They were good, by far better than anything you could buy in the stores, but nowhere near the taste I was accustomed to. Part of the reason is that summer seasons here are far too short and the temperatures are inconsistent. It can be burning hot with high humidity for a while and than we can have a sudden cool off period with lots of rain. That is not good enough for this gentle plant.
And then, I discovered this recipe that brought everything together, and allowed me to taste it again. It is a carefully designed recipe that with blend of locally available tomatoes and Italian pureed tomatoes (there is no substitute!) with added spices managed to bring out that rich, ripe tomato flavor that I love so much. The recipe was designed by chef Greg Easter and he used this recipe in several award-winning restaurants where he worked as an executive chef.
The smell and taste are irresistible and once you try it, this will be your new standard for a tomato sauce. You will never buy pasta sauce again!
It is relatively easy and fast to make. The only minor inconvenience is that the whole process is accompanied by rather vigorous sauce bubbling and splattering. After tomato sauce is cooked, stove and most likely floor cleaning is due. A splatter guard helps somewhat. Make sure you have a 1.5-liter sauce pan with a heavy bottom, that is a must! The heavy bottom ensures even temperature distribution, without which the entire process is not going to work and the sauce will burn.
Patiently follow the recipe and I guarantee you, you will be rewarded with the best pasta sauce you’ve ever tried!
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 30 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 75 ml extra virgin olive oil 15 ml for browning garlic and 50 ml for tomato sauce
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 5-6 garlic cloves crushed with side of a knife
- 300 g Italian tomato purée (passata) to be added in two 150 ml portions
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 45 g onion diced
- 120 g cherry tomatoes quatered
- 1/2 tsp black pepper ground
- lemon zest freshly grated
- 30 ml red wine
- 30 ml white wine
- 30 ml vodka
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp basil leaves minced, or 1 tsp Knorr brand basil paste
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar best quality
Ingredients
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- In a preheated medium size pan add 1 tbsp of olive oil, butter and garlic cloves. Over a medium heat (5 out of 10) brown the garlic cloves. Use a small spoon to bask the garlic cloves and brown them evenly. We want to brown them, but being careful to avoid burning. Set aside in a small bowl.
- Over a high heat (10 out of 10) preheat a small sauce pan with thick bottom. Add 60 ml of olive oil and as oil starts to smoke carefully add 150 ml of Italian tomato purée (passata). I use a metal cup with a handle, that allows me to lower it in the sauce pan, closer to the oil surface, and than pour it out in a slow, even circular motion. The sauce will start to bubble and splatter, DO NOT STIR!!!
- Sprinkle in salt and brown sugar, DO NOT STIR! Cook for a several minutes until bubbles get small and the surface of tomato sauce appears like it is simmering. At that point add diced onions, quartered cherry tomatoes and stir the sauce for the first time. If you did everything properly there will be no burned tomatoes at the sauce pan bottom.
- Reduce heat to a medium high (5 out of 10) and cook until tomatoes melt into the sauce.
- Add 150 ml of tomato purée (passata), some freshly grated lemon zest, garlic cloves and butter you cooked at the beginning, ground pepper, red and white wine, vodka, and stir it all together. Partially cover the sauce pan and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add cayenne pepper, stir an partially cover again. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in minced fresh basil and move sauce pan off the heat. Let it cool for a couple of minutes and then purée it using a stick blender. To finish stir in a red wine vinegar.
Make sure that the sauce pan is made out of non reactive material and not aluminum or cast iron. Resist temptation to stir the sauce. The idea is to fry tomato puree on a hot oil. The oil will separate the sauce from hot sauce pan bottom and prevent burning. If you end up with burned sauce you either did not have a sauce pan with heavy bottom or you stirred too early.
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