After a trip to Italy and a few reader requests, I guess it’s time for the talk. The sauce talk.
A lot of you are dying to know the secret to making a classic red sauce. The kind Grandma used to spend all day hovering over.
What’s her secret? Beats me. I’m not quite sure what Grandma was throwing into that pot of hers. Besides tomatoes and garlic, odds are it could have been anything. My only notion is the key to giving her sauce such good flavor was using the freshest ingredients she could get her hands on.
Using fresh ingredients is really the secret to making a good red sauce. The rest is up to time and perhaps a few secrets of your own. In my opinion red sauce is made out to be way more complex than it really needs to be. There is no secret technique or some kind of magical ingredient that gives a red sauce a run for your money.
I’m pretty sure another secret Grandma had up her sleeve was to make you believe she slaved all day in the kitchen just to make the perfect sauce. When odds are the stove and the sauce did all the work. All Grandma had to do was taste and season to perfection.
Yes, it’s true. There is really nothing to it. But there’s another truth you’ll have to come to terms with. Let me break it to you slowly.
You will never be able to recreate Grandma’s sauce.
I know, I’m devastated too. But it’s the harsh reality you are going to have to face. There are just too many variables to recreate someone else’s sauce. You would need to have the exact pot, same spoon and even use the same brand and origination of the ingredients used, (having Grandma would help too), to even come close to recreating a red sauce once made long, long ago.
After you’ve accepted this harsh reality and now that we have removed Grandma from the equation (no offense, Grandma), let’s get back to the sauce talk.
My secret really is just using fresh ingredients. If you can’t get your hands on some fresh local tomatoes it is OK to resort to the can, there is of course just one rule. Buy canned tomatoes that are whole. The less processing done to them the better. And of course read the ingredients. If there is more than just tomatoes, salt and acid for canning in the can, don’t buy. It’s safe to say a few extra dollars spent will be well worth it in the end. OK, so maybe that was two rules but I think you’re getting the point here.
Lastly, don’t chop, smash, squish, puree or mince the garlic. Leave it whole. This might take some adjusting for a few of you but by doing this you allow the other ingredients to show their true robust flavors and not become overpowered by the garlic.
All secrets have been revealed. Now it’s time to start cooking. This is the kind of recipe you will have to make a few times before it becomes yours. There is a lot of freedom when it comes to making sauce. Always taste and adjust to your liking and don’t be afraid to add more herbs or a secret ingredient of your own.
The recipe I am providing calls for canned tomatoes. If you are using fresh tomatoes, blanch first and measure in weight to substitute the canned tomatoes in the recipe.
Kayleigh’s Tomato & Basil Sauce
Yields: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
28 oz. whole peeled tomatoes in can (San Marzano)
3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and whole
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 handful of fresh basil, stems removed and washed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
•In a medium sauce pot on medium heat add the olive oil. Add the whole garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add the can of whole tomatoes, sugar and the basil. Bring to a bubbling simmer then reduce heat to low.
•Allow to simmer on the lowest heat for about 1 hour. Cover with a lid, leaving it cracked open or use a screen to prevent splatter. Stir occasionally.
•After 1 hour the sauce should be thicker and the tomatoes should have began to break down. If desired continue cooking for 1 more hour on the lowest heat setting. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
•Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with your favorite pasta.
Kayleigh Van Vliet Baig was born and raised in Riverhead, where she lives with her husband Tahir.
Kayleigh has been in the culinary industry for the last 12 years, working in kitchens on the East End. She also is a personal chef.
Look for In the Kitchen with Kayleigh every Saturday on SoutholdLOCAL.com.
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