One of the things I miss the most about home is the Italian cooking. It's probably true that everyone thinks that their family makes the best food. But I'd challenge anyone to find something better than ANYTHING my grandmother makes.
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| I always keep a stock pile of cans of tomato. My preference is tomato puree. |
When I first started cooking in graduate school, tomato sauce seemed to be one of the easiest things that I could master. It seemed fairly uncomplicated. A few years later, I still can't get it to taste exactly like my grandmother's sauce, but it is distinctly my own version (my brother thinks that the reason it tastes differently is because I use oregano...I stand by my decision).
Grandma's Tomato Sauce (for 4 servings)
Ingredients
- 2 cans of tomato sauce (I use pureed tomato sauce, but you can get crushed or whole, and puree it in a blender before you use it)
- 1/2 chopped red onion
- 3 basil leaves
- 4 links of sausage (Traditional Italian cooking demands pork sausage,
but for the sake of maintaining a healthier version, I used turkey)
- Olive oil
- Dried basil
- Salt
- Pepper
1. Coat the bottom of a sauce pan with olive oil. Heat it on medium.
2. Saute´ the onions and sausage in the oil until onions are well done and sausage is cooked.
3. Add 2 cans of tomato, dried basil, salt, pepper, oregano, and onion powder. Bring to a rapid boil.
4. Lower heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
See? The tomato sauce isn't all that complicated. I add the sausage to it so that it adds even more flavor. My family recipe also includes pieces of pork or even beef. It gives the sauce both a richer, thicker texture and flavor.
Stay tuned for part two...the meatballs!
