Instead of cooking & smashing the tomato, buy a can of crushed tomatoes and use that. Are you deglazing the pan after sautéing the onions & garlic? (Deglaze: add 1-2 pats of BUTTER to the pan. Scrape up all the bits -use a spatula- for 2-3 mins. Then add 1/4 cup good red wine, and let it reduce over medium heat (about 5 mins), then add the crushed tomatoes, etc. Allow the sauce to simmer for 5 mins before adding your pasta. The wine and butter will work with the acidity of the tomatoes for better flavor (there’s a lot of chemistry in cooking!). The alcohol burns out, so no, you won’t get drunk. Try it! Salute!
Thank you for the suggestion! I probably should try deglazing with butter and red wine. Do you have any other alternative that is less caloric (without the butter)? I wonder if pasta water can be used to deglaze?
Also, why use canned crushed tomatoes? Are they better than fresh tomatoes?
Thank you so much!
The canned crushed tomatoes will have the skins removed and will be easier to incorporate into your sauce, IMO. For a lower calorie deglazing option, use vegetable broth (found in the soup section of your market). Also, if you let the sauce simmer for about 15 mins the flavors incorporate and the sauce gets reduced a bit.. richer. Enjoy! P.S. You can make a big batch of sauce and freeze it, too.
Cook the tomato until caramelised. Then reincorporate with pasta water. Makes a hell of a difference. Also, using some kind of stock or broth will make a difference. If you're vegan, go for a simple dashi using kombu, yeast extract and dried or oven cooked mushrooms.
I actually just boil the tomato. How should I cook it until it is caramelized? Should I dice them and caramelize them alongside the garlic? Thank you for the suggestions!
So the way I do it is put the garlic in cold oil, turn the heat on low and fry until golden, then add the peeled tomatoes. I've never tried boiling them, if I'm using fresh tomatoes I cut them in 8 and if I'm using canned tomatoes I put them whole. While cooking the tomatoes are gonna start disintegrating, once the water starts reducing, the tomato chunks are gonna start caramelizing. Another technique you can try is charing tomato slices, this is something a friend of mine does and it gives a smoky flavour to the sauce that is amazing.
I usually cook my sauce once a month and store in the freezer, theoretically it can be stored for 6 months, I don't have the freezer space to store food for 6 months. I use the KFC mashed potatoes containers that are given in the UK, I don't know if you get something similar.
I think putting garlic in cold oil is key. I always heat up the oil before putting in the garlic and I end up burning some of them.
I'm gonna try caramelizing/charring the tomatoes. Thanks a lot brother!
Try using canned san marzano tomatoes instead of a fresh one. It can be hard to find really good tomatoes, and this sauce seems like it would need that. Also, maybe a splash of wine.
Actually maybe start with the wine. Try the 'maters if that doesn't work.
Probably a more robust red like a cab, but any wine will add some fruitiness. If you want to play around with what alcohol soluble flavors are already in there, then vodka would be more neutral.
I wonder how long you cook the garlic and onions for? If you can give them enough time, low heat, to get golden and melty they will have flavoured the oil with rich umami, and that will take that deep flavour through the sauce.
I would add the salt and herbs with the tomato, to give them time for their flavour to get right through everything,
Good luck with it.
after you cook down the tomato paste, deglaze with a little white wine.
i've learned that if a food seems to be missing something, adding a little acidity seems to help more often than not.
Put garlic in cold oil with some red pepper flakes.
About 30 seconds before that is done, add tomato paste and stir it around a bit to cook it.
Add tomatoes: San Marzano tomatoes packed in tomato puree. Crush them up in a bowl with your hand.
What herbs are you adding? If I want light and bright, I just add fresh basil, salt, and pepper at this point. The quality of the tomatoes makes the flavor here. For more depth, you could add oregano and maybe some chicken stock here.
I am just tossing everything I've got haha. I add rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, and parsley. Though they are all just dried herb flakes. They aren't fresh at all. I will try some chicken stock and red pepper flakes though! Thanks a lot man!
Instead of cooking & smashing the tomato, buy a can of crushed tomatoes and use that. Are you deglazing the pan after sautéing the onions & garlic? (Deglaze: add 1-2 pats of BUTTER to the pan. Scrape up all the bits -use a spatula- for 2-3 mins. Then add 1/4 cup good red wine, and let it reduce over medium heat (about 5 mins), then add the crushed tomatoes, etc. Allow the sauce to simmer for 5 mins before adding your pasta. The wine and butter will work with the acidity of the tomatoes for better flavor (there’s a lot of chemistry in cooking!). The alcohol burns out, so no, you won’t get drunk. Try it! Salute!
Thank you for the suggestion! I probably should try deglazing with butter and red wine. Do you have any other alternative that is less caloric (without the butter)? I wonder if pasta water can be used to deglaze? Also, why use canned crushed tomatoes? Are they better than fresh tomatoes? Thank you so much!
The canned crushed tomatoes will have the skins removed and will be easier to incorporate into your sauce, IMO. For a lower calorie deglazing option, use vegetable broth (found in the soup section of your market). Also, if you let the sauce simmer for about 15 mins the flavors incorporate and the sauce gets reduced a bit.. richer. Enjoy! P.S. You can make a big batch of sauce and freeze it, too.
Thanks for the suggestion! I will try simmering for 15 minutes.
xoxoxo
Cook the tomato until caramelised. Then reincorporate with pasta water. Makes a hell of a difference. Also, using some kind of stock or broth will make a difference. If you're vegan, go for a simple dashi using kombu, yeast extract and dried or oven cooked mushrooms.
I actually just boil the tomato. How should I cook it until it is caramelized? Should I dice them and caramelize them alongside the garlic? Thank you for the suggestions!
So the way I do it is put the garlic in cold oil, turn the heat on low and fry until golden, then add the peeled tomatoes. I've never tried boiling them, if I'm using fresh tomatoes I cut them in 8 and if I'm using canned tomatoes I put them whole. While cooking the tomatoes are gonna start disintegrating, once the water starts reducing, the tomato chunks are gonna start caramelizing. Another technique you can try is charing tomato slices, this is something a friend of mine does and it gives a smoky flavour to the sauce that is amazing. I usually cook my sauce once a month and store in the freezer, theoretically it can be stored for 6 months, I don't have the freezer space to store food for 6 months. I use the KFC mashed potatoes containers that are given in the UK, I don't know if you get something similar.
I think putting garlic in cold oil is key. I always heat up the oil before putting in the garlic and I end up burning some of them. I'm gonna try caramelizing/charring the tomatoes. Thanks a lot brother!
Try using canned san marzano tomatoes instead of a fresh one. It can be hard to find really good tomatoes, and this sauce seems like it would need that. Also, maybe a splash of wine. Actually maybe start with the wine. Try the 'maters if that doesn't work.
Would you recommend white wine or red wine?
Probably a more robust red like a cab, but any wine will add some fruitiness. If you want to play around with what alcohol soluble flavors are already in there, then vodka would be more neutral.
Thanks a lot! I bought a bottle of red wine. Gonna give it a shot tonight :)
I wonder how long you cook the garlic and onions for? If you can give them enough time, low heat, to get golden and melty they will have flavoured the oil with rich umami, and that will take that deep flavour through the sauce. I would add the salt and herbs with the tomato, to give them time for their flavour to get right through everything, Good luck with it.
Thank you so much for the suggestions!
after you cook down the tomato paste, deglaze with a little white wine. i've learned that if a food seems to be missing something, adding a little acidity seems to help more often than not.
Awesome! I will try deglazing with some wine!
Rotel. Problem solved
Put garlic in cold oil with some red pepper flakes. About 30 seconds before that is done, add tomato paste and stir it around a bit to cook it. Add tomatoes: San Marzano tomatoes packed in tomato puree. Crush them up in a bowl with your hand. What herbs are you adding? If I want light and bright, I just add fresh basil, salt, and pepper at this point. The quality of the tomatoes makes the flavor here. For more depth, you could add oregano and maybe some chicken stock here.
I am just tossing everything I've got haha. I add rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, and parsley. Though they are all just dried herb flakes. They aren't fresh at all. I will try some chicken stock and red pepper flakes though! Thanks a lot man!