FRESH ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Make this sauce with full-flavored ripe tomatoes at their peak. This sauce is easy to double, and can be frozen or canned.

Ingredients

2 pounds (about 2 large or 3 medium) very ripe tomatoes

3 tablespoons Partanna Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 cup onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

1 1/2 tablespoons Contorno Concentrated Tomato Paste

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Immerse tomatoes in a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, then peel away skin. Cut tomatoes in half, remove core, and squeeze seeds (do not worry if some remain). Chop roughly.

Heat olive oil in large saute pan or wide saucepan, and add onion and garlic. Saute over medium-low heat until they are wilted but not colored. Add tomatoes, raise heat to medium and stir for a few minutes until tomatoes give off their moisture. Add tomato paste, salt and pepper, half parsley and half basil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes more. Sauce will be chunky and thick. Add rest of herbs. If you like, puree sauce.

Chef Raymond insists that this sauce be made only with full-flavored ripe tomatoes at their peak. Roasting in the oven gives the sauce delicious intensity. This sauce is also good to freeze or can.

Ingredients

4 pounds (about 4 large or 6 medium) very ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup Partanna Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 450-475 degrees. Immerse tomatoes in a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, then peel away skin. Cut tomatoes in half, remove core, and squeeze seeds Strain to remove rest of seeds, reserving tomato juice. Chop tomatoes roughly.

Pour olive oil in large ovenproof, nonreactive saute pan or wide saucepan, and add chopped garlic, tomatoes and tomato juice. Place in oven, partly covered, and roast for one-half hour. Check to see if the texture of the sauce is dense enough. If not, roast another 15 minutes or so. Sauce should be chunky, thick and emulsified from the olive oil. Remove from oven, season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, and then add herbs.

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