Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauce, also known as red sauce or tomato purée is one of the most-used preparations our cuisine.

Although it is prepared in different ways depending on where it is prepared, the recipe always has tomato pulp as its principal ingredient.

Its multiple variants are because of the different cooking traditions of each region; for example, in Mexico it is very common to add red chili while in European countries basil is added.

Nevertheless, whatever the version used, it is a very versatile sauce that can be used in an endless number of dishes.

Furthermore, it is also considered a “mother sauce”, because other sauces such as Bolognese sauce, Neapolitan sauce, Rose sauce and Ketchup sauce, among others, are derived from it.

The Origin of tomato sauce

Homemade tomato sauce has its origin in Spain, soon after the tomato was introduced in the country.

The tomato came from Mexico and it was used, at first, as a decorative plant, and then it was used as food.

Since then, in the XVII century, the tomato sauce started to be enjoyed with pasta, fish, meatballs, pizzas and other kinds of dishes.

Subsequently, it became a familiar preparation in Italy, France and other countries until it got to the United States where it started to be commercialized in an industrial way, in 1876.

What kinds of tomatoes are used to prepare this sauce?

The tomatoes used to prepare this sauce are generally the varieties we use to prepare the salad, which have less water and are fleshier.

Plum tomatoes are the best ones for this kind of preparation because they have thin skin and a fleshy inside with very few seeds.

Besides, this is the kind of tomato that contains the right levels of acidity and sugar to prepare sauces, being identified also as being very aromatic.

Although the majority of these preparations are made using ripe tomatoes, you can find sauces using green tomatoes.

The last one is more common in Mexican cuisine and it is prepared by adding garlic, onion, jalapeño chili, salt, pepper and other ingredients that give it a strong flavor, which is characteristic of this sauce.

Take into consideration that the kind of tomato used is the most important thing about this sauce, because depending on the variety used, the flavor of the sauce will be different.

Other kinds of tomatoes very commonly used to prepare this recipe are heart of ox tomato, which has to be very ripe; as well as pepper tomato which is a bit sweeter.

Even sweeter is the San Marzano tomato, used in authentic Italian tomato sauce, which is very commonly used in pizzas and pastas.

On the other hand, the small garland tomato increases its conservation time, keeping fresh for more days.

How to prepare homemade tomato sauce?

The basic homemade tomato sauce recipe is very easy to prepare, all we need is to have a few ingredients ready.

Basically, what is done is to sauté most of the ingredients first and then beat them or drain them and at the end cook them on low heat until the sauce is ready.

Our recommendation is to use a vegetable processor so we can get a bright red-colored sauce and if we want it finer, all we have to do is to drain it using a colander with smaller holes.

Whereas, if we use a blender, although it breaks down everything very well, the sauce loses the intensity of its red color a bit, nevertheless, it is an option used by many.

Although it is a simple recipe it takes patience to prepare it, because we need to reduce 2/3 of the mixture so we can get a viscous texture and a concentrated flavor.

There are just as many variants of this recipe as people who prepare it, and each one of them gives it their personal touch.

This is why today we are going to teach you the authentic and basic recipe, from which you can prepare the version you would like.

There are some who like to add pepper, oregano, capsicum, carrot and a teaspoon of white sugar to eliminate the tomato’s acidity, of course depending on the kind of tomato you use.

Once the sauce is ready you can keep it for 3 or 4 days in the fridge. If you would like to use it at some other time you can put it in the freezer and keep it intact.

What recipes can I prepare with tomato sauce?

Due to it being a “mother sauce”, it can be used in an endless amount of ways, starting from the basics you can use it to prepare other kinds of preparations.

Nevertheless, it can also be used in a great number of delicious recipes such as chicken, meatballs, tacos, sardines, and the very delicious pasta and lasagna.

But that´s just the beginning because we can also prepare eggs, beef steak, ribs, and even spreads for toast with homemade tomato sauce.

Everything that comes to your mind will match perfectly with this preparation, all you need to do is imagine it and try it.

Recipe with Tomato Sauce

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