I swear by Michael Chaiarello's mom's tomato sauce. You don't have to go by it exactly as far as spices, but I like the process in which he makes it, by reducing the tomato juice and intensifying the flavor before adding the tomato pulp. This recipe is very fresh and simple.
I used this sauce the other day in his puttanesca pasta and it was spectacular.
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans serif]My Mother's Tomato Sauce [/font]
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[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans serif]Ingredients [/font]
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans serif](Makes about 3-1/2 cups)
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
Sea salt, preferably gray salt, and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano [/font]
[font=verdana, arial, helvetica, sans serif]Directions
Open the can of tomatoes and pour the juice into a bowl. Use the lid to press against the tomatoes to extract as much juice as possible. Put the tomatoes in a separate bowl, then use your hand to squeeze the tomatoes to a pulp. Reserve the juice and pulp separately. Fill the empty can half full with water and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over moderately high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Add the tomato juice and bring to a boil. Simmer rapidly until the juice thickens, then add the crushed tomato pulp, the half can of water, the bay, and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the mixture thickens and reduces to about 3 1/2 cups, 30 to 45 minutes, adding the oregano halfway through. Discard the bay leaf.
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