Thursday, September 26, 2013

Pomarola - a classic Italian tomato sauce







It’s near the end of tomato growing season here in Wisconsin and the garden is producing more ripe tomatoes than we can eat.  Why not make a classic Italian tomato sauce – Pomarola – that exemplifies the simplicity, freshness, and essence of Italian cuisine?




Ingredients
  • About 5 pounds of tomatoes, ripe and straight from the vine.
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 2-3 carrots
  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions 

Dice the onion, carrots and celery.

Add enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom of a heated pot.

Add the onion, carrots and celery, collectively known as a battuto in Italian, to the pot and saute over medium-low heat. Add the crushed garlic and continue to saute until the mixture, now a soffritto, is softened. Ensure that the garlic does not burn. 



Meanwhile, wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut each tomato in half crosswise and deseed by giving each half a quick squeeze over a bowl. Roughly slice each half into 4-6 pieces.

Slice the fresh basil into thin ribbons.

Add the deseeded tomatoes and basil to the pot with the soffritto. Season with salt and pepper.



Simmer until the tomatoes become soft and break down, approximately 45 minutes.



Allow the tomato mixture to slightly cool and then pass through a food mill using the finest plate. This will remove the tomato skins and any remaining seeds, as well as pureeing the onion, carrots and celery. 



If the pomorola is too thin, it can be thickened by reducing over high heat. Adjust seasoning, if required, and the pomarola is now ready to dress your favorite pasta. Buon appetito.






Note: If you do not have access to a food mill, you can skin and completely deseed the tomatoes prior to their addition to the soffritto. This can produce a rustic textured sauce that may be desirable with certain pasta shapes. If a consistancy similar to that produced by the food mill is desired, you can process the chunky sauce with a food processor or immersion blender.