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Part 1 in a Tomato Sauce Series: Chez Pim’s 15-Minute Tomato Sauce
Tomatoes were my gateway drug into my addiction to non-conventional produce and the Farmer’s Market. Talk about new experiences, the first time I had a tomato from a farmer’s market in San Francisco, I said to my friend, “Holy sh*t, this is what a tomato tastes like!” Tomatoes from your typical grocery store are like cardboard in comparison. (Tangent: NEVER STORE YOUR TOMATOES IN THE FRIDGE. You will kill all flavor and end up w/ mealy tomatoes).
If you didn’t notice, it’s tomato season. I find myself buying a bunch of tomatoes every week. A friend challenged me to find the best tomato sauce recipe I could, and since I have all these tomatoes, it looks like I’m going to be eating a lot of pasta…
I’ve consulted some cookbooks and the internet for recipes. My first try comes from Chez Pim’s website. Frankly, I chose it b/c it was aptly titled, “15-Minute Tomato Sauce” and I had a social engagement to run off to in an hour. Check out the recipe on her website b/c Chez Pim breaks it down quite nicely w/ step by step illustrated directions.
My modifications:
- Add sauteed onions
- LOTS of garlic. Chez Pim suggests ” 1 or 2, or none at all…” Wha???
- Subtract the balsamic vinegar cause it was already quite flavorful
- Add chopped basil
- Grate parm-reg cheese
Impressions:
Yes, this is super easy and simple - But maybe more like 30 minutes, not 15. I like the technique of boiling the tomatoes and then removing the skin, though there are times I don’t have the time to go through all that (or too lazy). Not gonna lie, I got tomato juice all over myself as I hand crushed the tomatoes. This was also a single-serving attempt, so when I make a larger batch in the future I will use my food mill. Overall, this is a simple recipe that brings out great concentrated flavor of the tomatoes. I used the Big Boy variety and will have to try Romas (oblong shaped) next time.
Homemade tomato sauce is the only kind of tomato sauce you should have in your home. FACT.
