Pomodoro

Name: Pomodoro
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2 (28oz) can crush tomatoes (see notes); 1/3 to 1/2 cup EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil); 10 garlic cloves, whole; 15g fresh basil (About a handful of basil leaves); 10g fresh oregano (about 5 sprigs); Salt to taste

by Cooking with Rocco

2 Quarts

1 hr 10 min

The best part about Italian cooking is the simplicity. The majority of the time, Italian recipes don’t require a laundry list of ingredients. Instead, they only require a few simple ingredients… and most importantly, the best quality ingredients you can afford.

This pomodoro recipe is exactly that. It’s simple, clean, and uses the best quality ingredients your wallet can afford. What do I mean by clean you ask? Well, there are no aromatics or wilted herbs floating in the sauce. Instead, I add garlic cloves and EVOO to a heavy bottom pan, and cook low and slow until softened and the garlic begins to caramelize. Once caramelized, I remove the garlic and add the crushed tomatoes. Instead of adding a handful of fresh herbs, I create a bouquet garni (see picture below) of fresh basil and fresh oregano and add it to the sauce the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking. When the sauce is done, I toss in the pasta, and top it with fresh basil and copious amounts of parmigiana.

Pomodoro

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Recipe details

Yield 2 Quarts
Time spent: Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 1 Hours Total time: 1 hr 10 min

Show Nutrition Info

Per serving

% Daily value

Instructions

In a large, heavy bottom saucepan, add the EVOO and garlic cloves. Turn the heat to medium-low heat, and cook the garlic low and slow until softened and they begin to caramelize. Once the garlic is caramelized, remove the cloves from the pot.
Add the crushed tomatoes and cook low and slow for 45 to 60 minutes, uncovered. Add a little water to the tomato cans (about 1/4 of each can), swish it around to get all that excess sauce off the sides, and pour it into the pot.
While the sauce is cooking, make a bouquet garni with the basil and oregano (see picture above). And add it to the sauce during the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking. At this time, taste the sauce and add salt as needed
When the sauce is done cooking, remove it from the heat. You can leave the herbs in the sauce until you use it.

Tips

You want to find the best quality tomatoes you can find, and most importantly, you can afford.
If you cannot find good quality crushed tomatoes, you can use whole tomatoes. However, I prefer to put whole tomatoes through a food mill.
I use the garlic to flavor the oil, so no chunks of garlic float in the sauce. However, you can add the garlic back to the sauce if you don't mind the garlic.

Comments

Aimee on May 25, 2021

This sounds like it would be packed with flavour! Love how simple it is.

13 Reply
Gina Garbo on Jun 07, 2021

You should not use canned tomatoes, Just get fresh ones and puree them!!!

15 Reply
- See 13 previous
- Lydia on Jun 07, 2021
  
  Nope! You are talking a whole different sauce when you start with fresh! And, unless they are fresh from your own garden, and very ripe, they have no flavor! Better to use good Italian canned, IMO.
  
  16
- Stephen Moore on Jun 07, 2021
  
  nix the fresh tomatoes; the San Marzano canned are the best you can get over here. Fresh are under-ripe or gas-ripened and usually exposed to pesticides.
  
  19
- Redsenji on Jun 07, 2021
  
  The tomatoes from my garden are never exposed to anything but God’s sun and water from the sky or a well fed by spring water. I can them with nothing but a,dash of sea salt. I shall use them.
  
  7
- Beckie on Jun 07, 2021
  
  Not at my house 🏡❤️
  
  Like
- Cooking with Rocco on Jun 08, 2021
  
  Not the season, so they’re hard to find. Will upload a recipe on that when I find them
  
  2
- Shelby mcdaniel on Jun 08, 2021
  
  Exactly....and if you do get them off-season, they are tasteless....ugghh....
  Go with the canned stuff.
  
  10
- Cheryl on Jun 08, 2021
  
  Your opinion, to which you are entitled but in my opinion the San Marzano canned tomatoes are flavorful and the highest quality.
  
  11
- Cheryl Atherton Scott on Jun 08, 2021
  
  WHAT IS EVOO?
  
  Like
- Shannon Peters Santo on Jun 08, 2021
  
  Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
  2
- Donna on Jun 08, 2021
  
  That's great for the summer...I do it too. Sometimes off season you need to use the can; more flavor than off season fresh. :)
  
  3
- Gina Garbo on Jun 08, 2021
  
  OF COURSE, YOU DO NOT use tomatoes out of season, then canned is OK but remember even canned tomatoes could be out of season and dyed red... Thus, the fresh ones are most tasty and healthy when available.
  
  2
- Svm29200096 on Apr 30, 2022
  
  Canned Italian San Marzano Tomatoesw beat even fresh tomatoes for use in sauce! Intense true tomato flavor. But they are noy cheap.
  
  8
- Wendy Edwards Collins on May 02, 2022
  
  I made sauce with fresh tomatoes and it tasted bland. I prefer San Marzano tomatoes!
  
  5
- Kathy on May 04, 2022
  
  You can add tomato paste or powder to fresh puree tomatoes. I also add onions.
  
  Like
- Kfm33362665 on Apr 29, 2023
  
  👍👍
  use fresh tomatoes 🍅
  
  3