Tips for an even better tomato sauce

Tomato sauce is a key ingredient in many dishes such as pasta, pizza, lasagne and many more. It requires few ingredients and little time to prepare and can be stored for several months. The best tomato sauce is certainly the one made with very ripe, home-grown tomatoes.

Tomato sauce can be used both hot and cold. It is most often added to warm dishes such as pasta, tortillas, pizzas, meat, fish, seafood and vegetable dishes. Cold, however, it is perfect as a dip or as an accompaniment to grilled dishes.

The preparation of tomato sauce is simple, but with your own personal approach you can add your own touch to the sauce. The most basic version contains only tomatoes, high-quality olive oil, salt and basil. But for a stronger and richer flavour, you can experiment with additions such as various spices and herbs, capers, green or black olives, stock, sardine fillets, finely grated or chopped vegetables such as celery, onions, carrots and garlic, the possibilities are many.

Here are some tips to make your tomato sauce even better:

• Choose the right tomatoes

The quality of the tomatoes is the basic ingredient of a tasty tomato sauce. Instead of using canned tomatoes, choose fresh, juicy tomatoes. The best tomatoes are those that are ripe and full of flavour, such as San Marzano or Roma tomatoes.

• Prepare tomatoes correctly

To get the most flavour from your tomatoes, prepare them properly. First, wash them and remove the stems. Then cut them crosswise at the bottom and immerse them in boiling water for a few seconds. After that, transfer them to ice water to cool and peel them easily. This process will add freshness to the sauce and remove the bitterness.

• Use spices

Spices such as basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary will add a richer flavour to the sauce. Play with the flavours and create something special.

• Add wine

Wine, whether red or white, has the power to enrich almost any sauce, often becoming a key ingredient in many dishes with its distinctive aroma and flavour. When it comes to enhancing tomato sauce, using dry wine (about a deciliter) is an excellent choice. However, it is important to bear in mind that it is advisable to continue cooking the sauce for at least 20-30 minutes after adding the wine. In this way, the wine is brought to the boil and all the flavours are thoroughly mixed, resulting in an extremely tasty sauce.

• Roasting onions and garlic

You can also enrich the sauce by slowly sautéing chopped onions and garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil until soft and fragrant. This will add a rich flavour and aroma to the sauce.

• Long cooking

Tomato sauce becomes even tastier if it is cooked slowly and for a long time. Cooking allows the flavours to blend well and the sauce to thicken. It is recommended to cook the sauce for at least one hour, but if you have more time, you can cook it for even longer. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from turning too sweet.

• Add some sweetness

A little sweetness, such as a teaspoon of sugar or honey, can add a slightly sweet contrast to the sauce and balance the acidity of the tomatoes.

• The right amount of salt

Add salt to taste, but be careful not to overdo it. Salt can enhance flavours, but too much salt can spoil the sauce.

• Additives for better texture

For extra texture, you can add sliced olives, capers or fresh herb leaves to the sauce. This will add not only flavour but also a crunchy texture to the sauce.

With these tips, you can create a delicious tomato sauce that will take your dishes to a whole new level. Remember that the key to a great tomato sauce is patience and using high-quality ingredients.

What to cook? Check out our tomato sauce recipes:

AUTHENTIC BOLOGNESE
RATATOUILLE WITH EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL