ciao bella salsa pomodoro (tomato sauce)
Please don't call it gravy! LOL This is as basic as it gets with tomato sauce. Simplicity is key with Italian cooking and my mother taught me well. You don't need to spend all day making a sauce, it only gets more acidic and heavy. Not to mention, who's got the time. You will be surprised how flavorful this sauce is. If you're wondering where the garlic is, we use it sparingly in our home. It's a big misconseption that Italians can't cook without it. When my mother uses garlic, she tends to leave it whole and remove it later. It lends a milder flavor to a dish used in this manner. I use the sauce for everything: baked ziti, eggplant parm, zucchini parm, chicken parm, lasagna etc. I even use this sauce when I make my meatballs. They get dropped right in. You can use this as a base to build on too. If you like veggies, meat, or want to make it spicy you can. Hope everyone likes it. Enjoy!
Ingredients For ciao bella salsa pomodoro (tomato sauce)
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1 smonion, finely diced
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2 Tbspolive oil
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1 can28 ounces tomato puree
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28 ounces water
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3-4whole, fresh basil leaves (or 1/2 tablespoon dried basil)
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2 tspkosher salt
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1/4 tspcracked black pepper
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3 inch piece of carrot
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3 inch piece of celery with leaves
- IF YOU LIKE GARLIC ADD 2-3 CLOVES WHOLE AND REMOVE AFTER COOKING
How To Make ciao bella salsa pomodoro (tomato sauce)
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1Heat olive oil in a medium pot. Saute onion until translucent.
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2Add tomato puree, fill 28 ounce can with water and add to tomatoes.
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3Add remaining ingredients. Allow to come to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionaly.
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4Remove carrot, celery and basil leaves (if using whole basil leaves) and garlic. Serve over pasta cooked al dente or use for ziti, lasagna etc.
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5If you like a thicker sauce then use crushed tomato instead of puree.
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