How do you make a really good pomodoro sauce?

[OrmIrian]

Because I make it for my kids quite often (well my version of it anyway), but whenever we go to an Italian restaurant DD always enjoys it much more and tells me that mine isn't nearly as nice

I get a tin of good tomatoes, blitz in a blender and then simmer slowly for half and hour or so with chopped garlic and basil. I don't want to resort to buying the stuff ready made. What tomatoes should I use? Any tips please.

• finely chop an onion and two cloves of garlic (and a carrot and a leek if you are interested in boosting the kids' veg intake)

- fry gently in a bit of olive oil till soft - add tin (or two) of chopped tomatoes, a good slosh of red wine, pinch of dried oregano and/or basil, good grinding of black pepper - simmer till bored (20min). - taste - it may need salt, pepper and/or sugar and/or more simmering

fresh tomatoes also v good chopped up and added with tinned ones.

we usually use the tinned toms with the black label (can't remmeber what brand they are theough - Napoletana?)

Ok. Thankyou. Will need to blitz the onion as they will object to it otherwise

hmm - I'd make the sauce with chopped veg and then blitz it afterwards (we do this when putting it with meatballs)

Good plan. Thankyou.

I think the key is NOT to use tinned tomatoes, and to use passata instead

also you should ALWAYS put in a teaspoon or two of sugar, cuts the acidity of the tomatoes

apart from that, finely chopped onions softened in olive oil, (garlic if you like, I don't put it in napoletana), chuck in tomatoes, salt and black pepper to taste, slowly simmer with lid off for a while to thicken, fresh basil in at the last minute.

Nothing else

[bows to Minty's expertise]

I was thinking of bolognese - DH is in charge of Other Sauces

if using tinned use whole not chopped and then simmer for hlaf an hour like LL said (all that garlic and sugar stuff) - simmering whole seems to make it a bit less bitter.

Then blitz (your onions if using will blitz up too at htis point)

basil

cods tommy sauce

Tomato sauce

Dice an onion really small and sweat it slowly in oil till it softens (low heat) then add a tablespoon of tom puree and garlic (? 1 clove)

Stir around briefly

Add a splash of old wine if you have it to deglaze the pan, then add a carton of passata and some sugar to taste. I also add a drop of Tabasco. It will look pretty unexciting a tthis point?BUT let it simmer slowly for 30 mins or until it thickens and turns dark red and it goes very sweet and nice.

Add veg to taste and simmer or parmesan on top of pasta.

Thankyou!

Tomato sauce (you can increase the quantities up to four/five times depending on size of your pan - sauce freezes brilliantly):

• olive oil (Carapelli is fine)
• unsalted butter
• one sweet onion
• one small sweet carrot
• one small stick celery
• one clove of garlic
• one 400g tin of plum tomatoes (proper Italian ones, no cheap own brand)
• sugar to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• flat leaved parsley or basil to taste

In a deep, thick-bottomed pan (ICM Le Pentole is ideal) melt a knob of butter in a couple of spoonfuls of olive oil (don't skimp on fat or your sauce won't have any flavour) and sweat onion, carrot, celery and garlic for about 10-15 minutes until soft and oil has risen to top. Add tomatoes and simmer on very low heat until thickened. Blitz in food processor (don't make it too smoothe). Add sugar, salt, pepper to taste and cook for a further few minutes, adjusting seasoning as necessary.

Freeze in batches, according to size of your family. Add fresh parsley and basil to reheated sauce. Serve with lots of freshly grated parmesan.