Homemade Red Sauce

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My numerous attempts to to make tomato sauce were all mediocre, until now. Now, the tastiest red sauce I've ever had is my own. I am not a person that toots their own horn, but this success cannot be denied. I have pinpointed my past mistakes and will share them and why they didn't work so you can save time and skip to the most delicious sauce of your life.

Mistake 1: Tomato Picking

The first time, I challenged myself to make sauce from scratch using fresh tomatoes. That was my first (and greatest) mistake. Tomatoes in supermarkets tend to have less flavor and are often picked before they ripen. Canned tomatoes, on the other hand, are plucked at peak ripeness resulting in far better flavor than their fresh counterparts and are steamed to remove the skins, saving prep time. For best results, always use canned whole tomatoes.

Mistake 2: Impatience

I thought getting my onions to turn translucent was cooking them long enough. The result was acidic sauce that needed to be saved by a spoonful of sugar. Now I know just how unnecessary that sugar is as long as you have the patience to bring your ingredients to their highest potential. When cooking the onions and garlic, keep the temperature relatively low. Upping the heat to speed up the process is tempting but runs the risk of burning the sauce. Once the onions are translucent (the stage I used to think them done), add minced celery and carrot for additional sweetness and depth of flavor. It is at this point that patience is tested. Keeping the heat low, cook until it is a deep golden color. In other words, you are caramelizing the mixture, bringing out the sugars naturally found in the vegetables and elevating them. This will counteract any acidity from the tomatoes, but it takes time. You can easily spend 30 minutes just caramelizing your aromatics. Some results are worth waiting for and this is definitely one.

Mistake 3: Spicing it up

My final lesson to learn took the longest to pin down. Being a huge fan of spices and herbs, I would add large quantities of all the herbs common in Italian food, thinking more spice meant more flavor. Instead, all the herbs canceled each other out. It tasted vaguely Italian but with no distinct flavors, just one note and a sad note it was. You just don't need all the herbs all the time. Add only a select few spices and let the other ingredients shine. I chose thyme, pepper, and crushed red pepper to add a lot of depth without muddling the flavors. 

After learning all of these lessons, I finally got the sweet and robust sauce I always dreamed to make. Even people who aren't fond of red sauce, scoop extra onto their plates after their first whiff. And on top of that, it is healthy, vegan, and great for kids and adults alike. It's perfect for family gatherings, dinner parties, or just making a bunch and saving it for easy weekday meals. This sauce will please anyone lucky enough to get a taste.

Homemade Red Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 medium carrot, minced
• 1 stalk celery, minced
• 1 can whole tomatoes
• 1/2 can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a medium sized pot over medium low heat and add the onions and garlic.
2. Once the onion has begun to soften, add the carrot and celery.
3. Slowly cook the mixture until it has caramelized. It should be a dark golden color.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the caramelized onion mix. Bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. After simmering, all of the ingredients should be incredibly soft. Break up any overly large chunks until you reach your desired texture or use an immersion blender to target the clumps.
6. Once you have it as smooth or chunky as you like, cover the pot once more, remove it from the heat, and let it sit for 30 minutes.
7. After 30 min, use it however you would any other red sauce or store refrigerated in an air tight container for up to a week. Or freeze for up to 3 months