Sugo Pomodoro: Basic Tomato Sauce

Growing up, I hated tomato sauce, which was undoubtedly this overcooked, too-many-ingredients stew. Bitter, thick, and served with a 17:1 sauce-to-pasta ratio, I would prefer anything else on my pasta.

But a proper tomato sauce is delicious. The key is to highlight the right tomatoes—San Marzano, whole, hand crushed—and great olive oil and little else. A condimento, not a stew.

This, a simple recipe, is reminiscent of any number of southern Italian basic sauces. I aim for authenticity.

Makes about 2 cups, sufficient sauce for 4 pasta servings.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
4 shallots, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely-shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
4 sprigs thyme, destemmed
one 28oz (800g) can San Marzano tomatoes, whole and peeled, preferably DOP
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the shallot and saute until soft and translucent but not brown, about 4 minutes.

Add the carrot, garlic, red pepper flakes, and thyme, plus sea salt and black pepper to taste. Saute until aromatic and warmed through but not browned, about 3 more minutes.

Hand-crush the tomatoes by squishing each one in your palm. Add the crushed tomatoes and their juice to the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer, decreasing the heat as necessary. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, until the liquid is reduced and the flavors are integrated. Taste and adjust seasoning.

If preparing with pasta, remove pasta from water and add to sauce about one minute before al dente. Add a couple tablespoons of pasta cooking liquid if needed to thin the sauce. Cook the pasta in the sauce for 60 seconds. Serve immediately.