Simple Tomato Sauce
Amazing Tomato Sauce
Yesterday I posted a recipe for Eggplant Parmigiana by Chef Mark Vogel that would be served with a quick, homemade tomato sauce. Here is Mark’s personal favorite quick and easy tomato sauce that works with his eggplant Parmesan but as a base for lots of recipes.
We all have our favorite formulas for making “gravy” and I would love to hear about how you make yours but this is a good one to start with if you are just learning how to cook.
Feel free to make additions and/or substitutions to adjust the flavor to your own preference. I have one of my favorites from my friend Chef Ricco DeLuca at Basic Tomato Sauce. I also wrote a post about a few celebrity chef’s favorite tomato sauces and how they differ slightly.
Ingredients
1 (35-oz.) can whole plum tomatoes
1 carrot - small dice
1 celery stick - small dice
1 small onion - diced
Olive oil - as needed
Salt and pepper - to taste
3 garlic cloves - chopped
4 oz. red or white wine
8 oz. beef/veal stock
Handful fresh parsley - chopped
How To Prepare At Home
Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Split open each tomato over the strainer and remove the seeds, as they can add a bitterness to the sauce.
Place the seeded tomatoes in another bowl. Reserve both the juice in the first bowl from seeding the tomatoes and the juice left in the can.
Sweat the carrot, celery and onion in olive oil with some salt and pepper on low/medium heat until soft. Add the garlic and cook one more minute.
Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce until it reaches a syrupy consistency.
Add all of the reserved tomato juices and the stock. Bring to a simmer and reduce by at least half. A little more won't hurt.
Add the reserved tomatoes and cook only 5-10 minutes on low heat. With an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth.
Finish with the parsley and additional salt and pepper if needed.
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Made sauce by this recipe yesterday… wonderful results! Tonight, it’s Eggplant Parmigiana!