Best Pomodoro Sauce!
Best Pomodoro Sauce! I had this on a girl’s trip in San Francisco and I had to come right home and re-create it. It's been a favorite ever cents. I use it in so many ways so make a triple batch so you can freeze it.
A homemade Italian Pomodoro sauce is simmered for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to a few hours. The big differences between Pomodoro and marinara sauce are their richness, colors and cook times. Since marinara is a fresh-ish sauce, that simmers for a shorter period of time, it keeps more of its bright red hues. Pomodoro, on the other hand, can simmer slowly for hours, resulting in a deeper, darker, and rich red sauce that’s unforgettable. Since there are only a few ingredients, it's important to use the best quality possible! I see San Marzano tomatoes and a great Italian Olive Oil from Olive Tree KC. This is perfect for pasta, lasagna, eggplant parmesan, and more.
POMODORO SAUCE
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Olive Tree Tuscan Blend Olive Oil
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 28-ounce can/jar/box whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, puréed in a food processor, or crushed with your hands.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (optional)
- Kosher salt
- 12 ounces spaghetti or other pasta
- handful fresh basil leaves
- 2 Tablespoons of butter
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino
Instructions
- Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet large over medium-low heat. (Be sure the skillet is large enough to hold the sauce and the pasta.)
- Add minced onion and cook, stirring, until soft. Go slow, you want to develop the flavors. Add garlic and cook, stirring,until just fregrant. Add crushed red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute more. Increase heat to medium, add puréed tomatoes and the parmesan rind, and season generously with kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens slightly and the flavors meld, for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to several hours. If cooking for more than 30 minutes add water as needed to keep a saucy consistency.
- When ready to serve, bring water to a boil in a pot. Season with 1-2 tablespoons of kosher salt; add spaghetti or other pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. With a slotted spoon or spider, add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Continue cooking the pasta in the sauce until al dente, adding a splash of pasta water if necessary.
- Taste, and add more salt and pepper as needed. If it is acidic, add a teaspoon fo sugar.
- Finally, add the torn basil, butter, and cheese; toss until cheese melts. Transfer to warm bowls; serve with more cheese, if desired.
Notes
Make sure that you use quality ingredients. There are not many ingredients in this sauce, so you want to make sure that all of the ingredients that you use are high quality.
I recommend using San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes. They are the best canned tomatoes.
Don’t skip the fresh basil and use good Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The parmesan label must use both words, Parmigiano-Reggiano, to be the real deal parmesan.
Calories vary based on number of servings.