Learn how to make the best tomato sauce, by learning how NOT to make bad tomato sauce!
I’m sorry, but I just can’t take it anymore. I truly and honestly, CAN’T.
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If I don’t write what I have been wanting to write, and hit PUBLISH, I feel like my head is going to explode, and that is not a good look for me.
If you want to skip my rant and just get the recipe for a PROPER and AUTHENTIC , QUICK ITALIAN SAUCE or a 6 INGREDIENT, REAL ITALIAN PASTA SAUCE, you’re most welcome to skip the rest of my post.
I ask that you humor me. Read my rant. Understand my frustration. My (Italian) blood pressure has been rising and I have to do something about it. You’ve heard of catharsis, right? Well, I’m in desperate need of it, so here goes.
Deep breath, yes, you too. Actually, you may want to lie down on the couch, and pour yourself a glass of wine because this is going to take some time.
Why am I so upset?
Part of the territory that goes along with food blogging is looking at other recipes, food photography, articles, food sections in newspapers, and magazines—you get the picture. Here’s how I end up feeling:
1. Often, it makes me realize how far I have to go in the world of food photography and styling, recipe creation and writing. Basically, it depresses the hell out of me.
2. Sometimes, it makes me feel as if I’m the best damn food photographer/stylist, recipe creator and food writer this side of the Atlantic ocean. You know those recipes and food photos that I’m talking about? The ones you should be looking at when you’re desperately determined to make your latest diet actually work?
3. And sometimes, reading some recipes or articles just gets my blood boiling, even before my pasta water has barely made it to a simmer.
“Why?” you ask? Well, I’ll tell you—it’s because so many recipes have been butchered even more than the rump roast and pork chops that are in them; made to sound like an Opera Cake when the outcome is more like a discordant Dump Cake.
I know what many of you are already thinking, “to each his own” and all those other quips which are thrown about when playing devil’s advocate. Allow me to clarify my point: anyone is free to post, publish, recite or otherwise create any recipe for anything they like. By the same token, I am also free to give my opinion of those recipes and that is exactly what I intend to do.
My tomato sauce background.
My mother was born in Italy; her parents were born in Italy, and their parents were born in Italy, and so on and so on, just like the ad for Breck shampoo. (Now I’ve totally dated myself.)
Seafood pasta? I have a recipe for that.
Types of tomato sauces are incredibly varied throughout Italy, but they are all made with quality ingredients, just like the typical Neapolitan pizza sauce. I grew up with a more southern-style Italian tomato sauce being made at home, and have continued to make it the way my family has always made sauce. Is there only one way? Absolutely not; in fact, we probably have over a dozen ways to make tomato sauce, and I rarely make it the same way twice in a row.
I’m also not claiming that I make the best sauce, or that I always make great sauce. (I once threw a ramekin of salsa into a simmering pot of tomato sauce thinking it was tomatoes—blechh.) However, it’s usually pretty darn good and it is an authentic Italian way of making sauce. Taste is subjective, so I’m not going to argue the point. However, the quality of ingredients, especially the canned tomatoes that are used, is key.
Having said that, here is what burns my cookies every single time: recipes which claim to be authentic Italian or Italian-style, yet are the furthest from anything an actual Italian would ever put in a pot. I have seen so many completely inauthentic tomato sauce recipes recently, claiming to be authentic, classic or “the best” which are just chock full of misinformation. Case in point: BuzzFeed’s “How to make the Best Tomato Sauce”. I’m going to give a detailed explanation why this is the biggest “how to” failure for making sauce that I’ve ever seen.
Fighting a losing battle.
One of the biggest reasons that I spend countless hours on my blog is to encourage people of all ages to get into the kitchen and cook healthy, unprocessed meals. I also want them to realize that many healthy, delicious meals and basic recipes do not take a lot of time and effort, expensive ingredients or specialized equipment. (Pasta with a creamy hidden zucchini sauce.)
This BuzzFeed article has probably managed to scare off scores of potential cooks from ever wanting to attempt to make homemade sauce, and that upsets me. A lot. Facebook commenter Dan Holley says it best,
“I’m okay with store-bought tasting a bit inferior if it means I can bypass the 10 steps, 486 hours and dozen-or-so culinary devices required to make this sauce. :/ ”
I love to cook, even lengthy and labor-intensive recipes at times, and there’s no chance in hell that I would ever make tomato sauce again if this was the only recipe I could use.
I realize that writing this is not the most politically correct thing to do, but I feel so strongly about saving authentic Italian cuisine from extinction, that I’ve decided that this is something I must do. Nonno and Nonna would be proud of me, and that’s what matters the most to me.
Time for another DEEP BREATH. (Another glass of wine?)
Are you ready for BuzzFeed’s 12 steps to the “Best” Tomato Sauce? I’d rather do the other 12 step program to tell you the truth, but this has to be done. First, I’ll list BuzzFeed’s instructions in caps, then I’ll add my rebuttal, and let you form your own opinions from there.
How NOT to make tomato sauce. Read on.
- USE FRESH TOMATOES WHEN THEY’RE IN SEASON. Who can argue with that? However, Buzzfeed is completely off-base in giving advice on which fresh tomatoes are good to use for sauce and which are bad. Roma and beefsteak tomatoes are listed as being “good” for sauce, when in fact, Romas are good and beefsteak are in fact better for salads. Buzzfeed also claims heirloom and cherry tomatoes are “bad” for sauce, but what is so interesting to me, are the reasons for stating these tomatoes are bad for sauce: “heirlooms are just too expensive to use for sauce”. Well, I happen to know that many people actually grow their own heirloom tomatoes (and there are many different types) and sometimes have too many to eat fresh. The piece also advises that cherry tomatoes are bad because they “…will take forever to peel because they’re so small…” (REALLY?) And “…they don’t have much flesh anyway”. Here goes my blood pressure again: good-quality cherry tomatoes can make a fabulous sauce! Next, the instructions state, “You will need to peel and crush them.” Here we go again, I don’t recall any rule or law stating that I have to peel my tomatoes in order to make sauce. First of all, why must tomatoes be peeled? I happen to like getting extra nutrition whenever possible, and eating the tomato skin is a good thing (as long as they’re organic). I for one, refuse to peel my tomatoes. Oh, and BuzzFeed, here’s a tip: a 6 step tutorial in step one of a recipe, does not bode well if you actually want cooks to stick around until the very end of the recipe.
- WHEN THEY’RE NOT IN SEASON, USE CANNED. Okay, I’ll agree with the fact that fresh tomatoes can be pretty bad when they’re not in season, but advising people to used “canned tomatoes” without any other directive is terrible. Unless you’re going to buy Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino D.O.P. (I discuss them in my penne arrabbiata recipe) you won’t be assured of the very best quality tomatoes. One of the canned tomatoes in the top photo of the BuzzFeed article are terribly acidic and bitter. BuzzFeed’s recipe also calls for four 28 oz cans of tomatoes; I don’t know about you, but when I make a big pot of sauce, I use about half this amount. Unless you’re cooking for a small Italian village, I’d recommend not making such a massive quantity, which will also make it easier to season.
- BUILD A MORE FLAVORFUL BASE. Now we are told to start roasting garlic. OMG. Another recipe within a recipe? And this only takes 50 minutes. While you’re at it, why don’t you start making tomorrow morning’s breakfast? Beat some eggs and throw in some stale bread for overnight French toast, and maybe unload the dishwasher while you’re waiting on that roasted garlic. Also, fresh garlic is not always used in all authentic Italian sauces, but I don’t know anyone in Italy who roasts their garlic before putting it in the pot to make sauce. Okay, so next we’re supposed to chop up onions, celery and carrots which is fine, if that’s how you want to flavor your sauce. However, there’s a couple of MASSIVE errors in this step: cooking the vegetables in two tablespoons of vegetable oil? NO! NO! NO! First of all, it must be olive oil, extra virgin olive oil to be exact, (a little lard is good, too). Secondly, for two large onions, two celery stalks, a carrot and 7 lbs of tomatoes, am I to believe that two tablespoons of oil will be enough? Now I’m starting to think that this guide is supposed to be humorous—did I miss something earlier?
- SEASON AS YOU GO. Again, this isn’t what I would call “wrong”, as one must taste and season as needed, but if you are cooking for a small army, with unsalted, fresh or canned tomatoes, “a pinch” of salt here and a “pinch” of salt there, ain’t gonna cut it. You’re going to need teaspoonfuls of salt, and several of them. The type of salt used is important (I like Diamond Kosher or a sea salt), and depending which type of salt is used, the amount, and flavor will vary greatly.
- ADD SUGAR. I can barely hold it together with this one. This has to be my very biggest pet peeve with tomato sauce recipes. PEOPLE, listen to me, tomatoes are a FRUIT, and they do not need added sugar! The only reason sugar would be necessary, is if the tomatoes are not good quality, acidic, bitter or tasteless. If this is the case, then it should be a pinch and without good tomatoes, you won’t end up with good sauce, anyway. I would choose not to make sauce in the first place if I had to use tomatoes of the previous description. BuzzFeed’s instructions actually advise adding one tablespoon to the vegetables and the rest of a quarter cup (2 oz) of sugar to the tomatoes! PLEASE, NO! Keep the sugar for your desserts, because it doesn’t belong in your sauce. I know this is going to cause a major backlash of people stating, “my mother always used sugar in her sauce or “gravy” and it was the best I ever had. I can appreciate recipes which are handed down from past generations, but in this day and age, we have so much processed, over-sweetened, sugar-packed foods in our diet. Can’t we at least try to make homemade tomato sauce completely unprocessed and without adding sugar? Trust me, the flavor will not suffer if you use good quality ingredients.
- ADD WINE BEFORE TOMATOES. All I’m going to say to this is that I have never added any wine to my tomato sauce. I’d rather drink half a bottle than have it reduce in a pot of sauce that will taste frickin’ amazing without it. So for me, add the wine to my glass instead, grazie.
- ADD TOMATOES, COOK 15 MINUTES. So, here we are three days later, and we’re finally adding tomatoes. Uncork another bottle of wine to celebrate!
- PUREE WITH A STICK BLENDER. What about not blending at all? And if one must blend the tomatoes, I would do so before cooking them. In this “recipe” that means all your veggies are going to be blended too. By now you should realize this article is not going to teach you how to make the best tomato sauce.
- IF YOU WANT MEAT, NOW IS THE TIME. Oh, dear God. Are you kidding me? After all that, and now you want me to get another pot and start cooking meat? Is your head ready to explode yet? I’m kind of scared to keep reading; I might be told to go hunting for my meat next! Oh, wait, if I want meatballs, they’re included in recipe #3, and I’m told I have to sear the meatballs before adding them to the sauce or they’ll fall apart—THIS IS COMPLETELY FALSE! (You know, back in high school and college, heck, even in grad school, I remember having to have a bibliography to show where I got my information when I wrote a report. I think that this is a good idea and maybe it should apply to articles like this one). Dropping raw meatballs into simmering sauce makes awesome meatballs that do not fall apart and I know this from experience. Here’s my advice on using any kind of meat in sauce: sauté it with extra virgin olive oil and garlic, and/or onion in the beginning, so that the flavor of the meat comes through in the sauce, plus, you’ll dirty one less pan!
- LET IT SIMMER 1-2 HOURS. Depending on how thick or runny the tomatoes are, will determine how long you should simmer the sauce. Cook it to a consistency which will stick to the pasta without being too runny or too thick. I’ve never simmered my sauce for two hours as it would be much too thick (imho).
- STORE SMALLER BATCHES. If you’ve used 7lbs of tomatoes to make sauce, yes, you will need to store smaller batches in the freezer.
- EAT PASTA FOREVER. Okay, Buzzfeed, I can’t argue with this one. Let’s just work on the other 11.
Conclusion
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it’s extremely likely that no one has ever used this “recipe” to make this sauce. (Which is a shame, as I doubt I’d be writing this if they had). I also bet if they have, they’d agree that they didn’t learn how to make the best tomato sauce, too.
As a recipe developer and food writer, I know the importance of testing recipes, not just once, but over and over, so that I end up with a quality recipe to offer to my readers. I do not have a clue as to how many times I have made pasta sauce, but I can practically do it with my eyes shut.
My next post will be a very quick and simple, completely unprocessed, sugar free, delicious tomato sauce. Coincidentally, it does not have 10 steps, take 486 hours or require a dozen culinary devices in order to make it. I hope you’ll come back and try it.
Thanks for listening.
I feel better now.
* How to make the best tomato sauce? One of the ways is this quick, easy and delicious tomato sauce recipe.
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Hi Christina! Kimberly here from Daring Gourmet. Just finished your post. Brava! Several quotable lines here, my favorite of which: “PEOPLE, listen to me, tomatoes are a FRUIT…!” :)
I can relate entirely, though for me it’s German food. Originally from Germany I was shocked when I moved to the U.S. ten years ago by what is often considered to be “German food” over here. And yes, when the caption “authentic” is added to the recipe title it makes it all the more laughable. I just chalk it up to ignorance. But I agree, when the recipe is being presented as authentic in what is supposed to be a professional cooking forum, then they’d better darn well make sure they know what they’re talking about!
Guten Appetit!
Danke, Kimberly!! I’m glad you liked my post, and it’s nice to know that others can relate, even with other cuisines. Thank you for reading the whole post…I know that took a lot of time! :)
CC
I agree but sadly am sometimes guilty of some of your pet peeves. My father grew his own tomatoes and during tomato season sauce was always with fresh tomatoes, cooked minimally. I totally agree with that and it’s the freshest and best. I have found that even using the best canned tomatoes and I do try to buy the best San Marzano yields sour tomatoes so I will confess that I am guilty from time to time of adding a little sweetener, whether sugar or honey. Usually organic sugar which is pretty much what I use in my kitchen. My Mom canned tomatoes every year so we had fresh tomatoes from the vine or freshly preserved all the time so I don’t ever remember seeing my Mom used canned or add any sweeteners but it’s possible she sneaked some in because her sauce was always perfect a touch of sweetness. So good! I generally do a long slow cook on my sauce with meat and reserve the quick cook for Marinara or plain tomato sauce and oregano blech……. never. I completely understand your frustration, looking at so many recipes that are so varied and quite frankly way way too complicated. Italian sauce is simple with few straighforward ingredients. Thanks for saying what so many feel from time to time,
Haha! You hit on another one of my dislikes which I didn’t even mention: oregano in the sauce! :) I have been lucky to find a lot of good tomatoes in glass jars from Italy, and at reasonable prices, but I know that’s not the case for many people. I know that that is the key to getting a good tasting sauce, and if the tomatoes are bitter or acidic, I understand why the sweetener is going in, but many people add way too much! So you’ve seen my “hot” Italian side now! ;) CC
I have never seen italian tomatoes in glass jars except when someone does home canning. The tomatoes in tins are hit or miss, I have gotten good ones but then the same brand the next time can be too acidic or sour. If I want good tomatoes I have to pay almost $5 a can (4.95) When they have a sale I buy as many as I can. I wish we had good tomatoes at the farmers market year round. I made some fantastic sauce this year. Wish I were a person who was good at canning.
Yes, I love DOP tomatoes but the two bad things are the price and the BPA :( Here is the glass jar type I’m talking about, you should be able to find them (not necessarily this brand) at Italian shops http://www.amazon.com/Bionaturae-Tomatoes-Strained-24-Ounce-Pack/dp/B001HTI24E/ref=sr_1_8?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1382568494&sr=1-8&keywords=bionaturae Or else, have you seen POMI brand in the cartons? That is what I used in this recipe. Only tomatoes and from Italy…I hope you can find some!
Yes we have POMI here will try those. Went to farmers market today and they had the last of the heirlooms, brought home as many as I could fit in my cart and am making sauce right now.
I need this kind of post – thank you!! Now I know – Now I’m totally clear!
mary x
Oh dear, Mary, I hope I didn’t scare you! Haha! ;) CC
Okay friend… I read every word. I love your passion for what you do. I must confess, I do add sweetness to the sauce to balance out anything that is too acidic. Sometimes a little more than others, depending on the levels of acid in the tomatoes. That being said, I do not add sugar but honey or maple syrup (I hope that doesn’t throw you over the edge). They are natual sweeteners and work perfectly. I agree with you about the meatballs, meatballs are so amazing just plopped in. I would love to taste your sauce one day, I have a feeling it would be the best I’ve ever eaten.
First of all, thank you for reading every word, Louise, as I know it took a big chunk of your day to do that! Secondly, I have to tell you that YOU are one of the reasons I often feel depressed! When I see your gorgeous food styling and photography I realize I have SO far to go to reach your level!
I laughed when I read that you hoped that you adding honey or maple syrup to your sauce wouldn’t put me over the edge!! ;) To tell you the truth, I’ve never heard of anyone doing that, but if you’re going to add a sweetener, I agree with you, they are natural and therefore, better than adding refined sugar; and as I said, sometimes when the tomatoes are too acidic, a sweetener is needed. We need to find your some good, non-acidic tomatoes ;)
Thank you again, for reading my rant and for commenting-and hopefully I can make some sauce for you one day. :) CC
I have to admit..I have never made tomato sauce at home.. But I can really understand what frustrates you, there are dishes that I would defend if I saw someone making wrong way and teaching others claiming it’s the best way! It is a very useful post especially for people like me who don’t know how to make good authentic Italian tomato sauce. Thanks Christina :)
Thank you so much for saying that, Medeja, that really means a lot to me. I appreciate you understanding my frustration, even though you’ve never made sauce at home. I hope you’ll try my very simple recipe (which isn’t really mine as so many Italians make it this way) when I post it next week. :) CC
I just read their “recipe”… what can I say?? I too get very upset when I read “authentic Italian” recipes that are not authentic, so I try not to read, but I don’t always manage to stop myself. ;-) When I read their recipes I thought a couple of things: 1. the recipe cannot be tested. 2. they are confused. They are confused as they are trying to give 1 recipe for a base that in the end makes different sauces (like ragu). Ragu is made in a complete different way than a sugo (which is what I thought they were making). Also, San Marzano are not usually used for sugo as they contain too much water. We use them to make “pelati”, a chunkier sauce (I don’t blend them). Also, I personally don’t blend tomatoes to make sugo. I cook them and then pass them through a vegetable mill and squeeze the living hell out of them as the best part is in the SKINS!!! I actually have the recipe for my family’s sugo on the blog. NEVER EVER add wine to a basic tomato sauce. I use tomatoes, salt, basil, a little onion and extra virgin olive oil. That’s it. Also, I prefer small tomatoes to make sugo (even cherry tomatoes) as they are more flavoursome, though in Italy, we use locally grown tomatoes (and that varies depending on where you live). I could write more, but I don’t want to bore anyone… hehehe Well done Christina!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write what you did, Manuela! I know that every Italian who reads that “recipe” will feel as we do. It would be like an Italian writing a “how to make the best hamburger” and writing a 12 step, convoluted list of instructions which no American would follow when making a regular beef burger! I agree, the “recipe” cannot be tested and includes every possible step one would take in making many different kinds of sauces, and then some more added steps,
I appreciate your comments and hope that we can continue to spread the word that true Italian cuisine is as Susan described: fresh, uses seasonal vegetables and minimal preparation. Grazie! CC
Brava! I hate that Americans characterize Italian tomato sauce as some concoction that sits on the stove for a week before you can even think about eating it! The very first sauce I learned to make from an Italian man in Naples when I was 12 years old could not have been simpler, or fresher.
Olive Oil, Garlic, Roma Tomatoes crushed with my hands, salt, and Basil cooked for only about as long as it took for the pasta to be al dente.
Sure, lots of northern Italians meat sauces involve braising and long cooking, but not tomato sauce! The key to southern Italian cuisine is freshness! Seasonal ingredients with minimal preparation that allows them to shine.
Siamo d’accordo!
And this, coming from an American, holds more weight in my book! That’s exactly the sauce I want to share (with some Italian parsley) but yes, it’s ready before the pasta is done and tastes so delicious that I don’t understand why anyone would buy a ready made sauce (probably because they don’t know about this recipe)! :) You are absolutely correct about the fresh, seasonal ingredients and simple cooking methods! Thanks for your support, Susan! CC
I love it when someone finally speaks up for what they believe in!!! She has me rethinking making Sauce (Gravy) Great commentary, Christina and I applaud what you said!!!
Thank you, Mary Beth! I really appreciate your comments; they mean a lot to me. :) CC