Homemade Heirloom Tomato Sauce

This heirloom tomato sauce is sweet, spicy and thick. The perfect complement to your favorite pastas, not too heavy or too rich.

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, cut an “X” across the top of each tomato. Prepare an ice bath in a bowl and set it next to the stove.

Working in batches, place each tomato in the boiling water for 30 seconds, until the skin around the cut starts to pull back from the flesh. Immediately transfer the tomatoes to the ice bath and allow to cool for a moment. Peel off the skins from the tomatoes and discard. Roughly chop the tomatoes, removing and discarding the cores and any tough pieces that remain. Set aside.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add in the chopped onion and sauté until it becomes tender and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the garlic and chile flakes and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. 

Add in the balsamic vinegar and cook until almost evaporated, about 1-2 minutes. Stirring frequently. Add in the red wine and cook until 1/4 of it is evaporated, about 5-8 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, sugar, basil and oregano to the pot, stir to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer, stirring often to prevent burning. After 1 hour, remove and discard the basil. Continue cooking the sauce over medium heat. *You can cover the top of the pot with the lid half on/half off to prevent splatter and to keep the sauce from becoming too dry.  When the sauce reaches your desired thickness, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make your pasta as your prefer and top with a big spoonful of the sauce, garnish with grated fresh Parmesan and fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

*You can store left over sauce in airtight containers in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for several months. Make sure to cool the sauce to room temperature before pouring into containers unless you are using canning mason jars. 

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