Tomato Sauce – Whole Fruit

Like you, we’re often running to get a good meal on the table.   We’re not always planning meals in advance and often it’s 5 o’clock, we’re getting hungry and we need a solution quickly.   That would be the reason this recipe exists – lack of time.

This recipe will take you from whole canned, frozen or fresh tomatoes to a beautiful sauce in less than 30 minutes. And, you use the whole tomato – skins, seeds, everything.   That’s what we wanted – use the entire tomato, no peeling, no seeding, no waste.  If you are using your own canned or store bought tomatoes that have been skinned, that’s perfectly fine.  You can whirl them up for a smoother sauce or roughly break up for a more rustic, chunkier red sauce.

Poeppel Family Pasta Sauce

Fresh, Canned or Frozen Tomatoes, with skins and seeds

Tomato Paste – we like Bio-Nature organic tomato paste, prevents sauce from being watery

Organic sweetener of your choice, if necessary

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Homemade basil pesto, fresh chopped basil or Greek oregano

Fresh Garlic – 2 or 3 cloves depending on size, smashed into a paste

Salt & Pepper

If tomatoes have not been sliced, halve the fruit, add to medium pot and heat gently until fruit is soft and releasing juices.  You now have what we call stewed tomatoes.  Using our all metal stick blender (couldn’t live without this tool), whirl up the skins, seeds and pulp until skins are not recognizable.  Add one can/jar of organic tomato paste.  One jar of tomato paste will usually thicken, to our preference, about 6-7 cups chopped, stewed, whirled up tomatoes.  The paste brings the sauce together and prevents it from being too watery.

Add salt and taste.  Same with the sweetener.   Tomatoes harvested at the peak of the season may not need sweetener at all.    Taste and adjust to your liking.  Add a swirl of Extra Virgin olive oil and a dollop of homemade pesto, chopped fresh basil and/or Greek oregano.  Add fresh garlic and heat gently so flavors can blend together.  You now have a beautiful, very basic, whole tomato red sauce ready for your pasta, polenta or pizza.  Or, if you leave out the paste, you have delicious tomato soup.

Tomato Sauce with Italian Sausage and Polenta

In a large skillet, cook and break up 1 lb Italian Sausage.   After cooked through, remove from skillet and add a swirl of olive oil and 1/2 cup chopped onion.  Sauté until onions are translucent.  Add prepared tomato sauce to skillet with onions scraping up the bottom of the pan to capture all that good flavor.  Add sausage back to skillet, adjust seasoning and serve over a steaming bowl of polenta or favorite pasta with a nice big green salad.