Classic Pomodoro Sauce Recipe
An Original Recipe Brought to You
From the Farmhouse Kitchen at Root & Branch Farms
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces of garlic, peeled and minced
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 pounds of fresh tomatoes (NOT canned) – I recommend using Roma, Pozzano, and/or heirloom San Marzano tomatoes
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 0.7 ounces of fresh Italian basil
Instructions:
- Chop off the ends of several large garlic cloves. Remove the peels from the garlic. Weigh the garlic to make sure you have 2 ounces of garlic (once the ends and peels are off). Finely mince the garlic. I use a garlic press which minces garlic amazingly well (it also makes the mincing process much easier and faster).
- Add the minced garlic and extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, and sauté on low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently. You want to make sure that the garlic is fully sautéed but NOT to the point that it’s crispy.
- While the garlic and olive oil are cooking, rinse the tomatoes and remove the ends. Weigh the tomatoes to make sure you have 3 pounds once the ends are off. Dice the tomatoes into small pieces.
- After the garlic has cooked for approximately 5 minutes, add the chopped tomatoes and salt to the skillet. Cook on high for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are fully cooked and a significant portion of their juices has cooked down. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Depending on your stove, you will likely need to reduce the temperature from high to medium partway through the cooking process, as more and more liquid from the tomatoes cooks down.
- While the tomatoes are reducing, prepare the Italian basil. I recommend first removing all the stems so that you only have the leaves. Then weigh the leaves to make sure you have 0.7 ounces. Then rinse the leaves thoroughly. It is much easier to wash the leaves once the stems are removed. Pat the leaves dry with a paper towel.
- Coarsely chiffonade the basil. Stack four or five basil leaves on top of each other, putting the larger ones at the bottom. Tightly roll the leaves length-wise, in a tubular shape. Carefully using a sharp knife, cut thin crosswise slices (about 1/4 inch wide) across the roll. This chiffonade technique helps prevent the basil from browning. Repeat until you have coarsely chiffonaded all the basil leaves.
- Add the basil to the skillet during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remember to continue to stir the sauce frequently to prevent sticking.
- Serve over pasta (pictured here served over capellini). Add more salt to taste. This recipe purposefully uses less salt, so that you can salt to taste once you’re eating. For some people, the amount of salt listed here will be sufficient, while others will prefer slightly more. We always recommend not over-salting recipes, as personal preferences vary!
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