SALSA AL POMODORO | SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE
Sometimes there is nothing better than a big bowl of pasta with tomato sauce. And when you can have delicious, authentic, and easy homemade sauce in under an hour, there's no reason to resort to store-bought.
About the tomatoes: For this sauce, we use jarred tomatoes, from our own garden and processed during peak season for year-round use, though you can certainly also use canned tomatoes from the store. We recommend whole peeled tomatoes that you then chop before adding to the pot, but you could also choose diced tomatoes for ease or even crushed tomatoes if you prefer a smoother end result.
Ingredients:
Serves 6
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
10 basil leaves, chopped or sliced into ribbons
5-6 cups tomatoes (2 28-oz cans; see full note above about the different options)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion and celery are translucent and the carrots are very soft, about 15 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, cover the basil with olive oil in a small bowl, and set it aside to infuse.
Once the vegetables are soft, add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are broken down into a well-blended sauce.
Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and toss gently with your favorite al dente pasta. (Tip: Cook your pasta just shy of a perfect al dente, and then allow it to finish cooking as you mix it with the warm sauce.)
Pour into a large serving dish or divide into individual bowls, and drizzle with the basil olive oil to finish.
Photo credit: Niccolò Merighi