How to Make a Very Easy Tomato Sauce
This base is endlessly adaptable to your taste and the season — plus a recipe for fried zucchini!
Something I’ve learned from posting my dinner on the internet all the time is that what is second nature to me might be completely new to someone else. Though I certainly didn’t grow up standing next to mom at the stove, stirring a simmering tomato sauce, I’ve made red sauce enough in my adult life that I don’t use a recipe and I never think much about it.
Sometimes I’ll use fresh tomatoes; other times, I’ll use canned. Sometimes I don’t have onion, so I leave it out. If there’s no cheap red wine around to add, I use vinegar, or maybe lemon juice. The amount and type of salt is up to the one cooking — lately, I’ve been using a fennel salt from Addo in Seattle. Basil? If I have it. Sliced-up white button or baby portobello mushrooms? Always welcome. Spicy? With capers? Smoky, with paprika? A little white miso to boost the umami? Go for it. I don’t add any sugar or sweetness to my sauce, because it’s not my thing—but maybe it’s yours!
As with any other dishes, though, there’s a base. This is mine, and I invite you to make it yours.
Easy Tomato Sauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt of…
