Italian Pasta Sauce-fresh tomatoes?!
Italian Pasta Sauce-fresh tomatoes?
My roma tomato plant is producing alot more tomatoes then I thought it would. Anyone have a good homemade pasta sauce recipe? Can I freeze it?
Answers:
I freeze my tomatoes and sauce every year when I get done canning a ton of them - they always freeze beautifully! Sometimes the sauce will be a little more watery from when you originally froze it, but just put into a pan and simmer with the lid off to reduce.
Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds and then transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Slip the skins off and either just chop and freeze - with their juice - in freezer bags (I do this if I don't have time to make the sauce) or make into homemade pasta sauce.
This is the basic recipe that I use, but everyone likes their sauce a little different...
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4-5 cups of peeled and chopped tomatoes
1 cup water
1/2 of a 6oz can tomato paste
2 tsp each:
* dried oregano
* dried thyme
* dried basil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Bring sauce to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a low simmer.
Simmer, uncovered (or partially covered) for at least 3 hours, up to 5 if possible...this is great to do in a slow cooker all day!
If the sauce begins to get too thick, add a little more water.
I watch for the color of the sauce to change...it slowly deepens to a brownish-red.
I hope this helps!