Il Sugo di Pomodoro

Tomato Sauce

Mi piace il sugo di pomodoro!

If you want to be un cuoco fantastico (a fantastic chef) then il sugo di pomodoro is one of the most important Italian recipes to master! It is one of le salse madri (mother sauces) and is used in lots of different ways. If you can make un ottimo sugo then your pasta dishes and many stews will be a success!

Make sure that you use whole, Italian peeled plum tomatoes for this recipe. There are various Italian brands that you can find in supermarkets.

Every Italian family has their own way of preparing il sugo. This is how my family has always made it: using Casar Sardinian peeled plum tomatoes.

Ora vediamo come si fa!.....

Ingredients

700g Peeled Plum Tomatoes

2 Cloves of Garlic

6 Bay Leaves
Small Bunch of Parsley
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Onion
Milk

Salt

Ingredienti

700g Pelati

2 Spicchi d'Aglio

6 Foglie d'Alloro

Mazzetto di Prezzemolo

Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva

1/2 Cipolla

Latte

Sale

Step 1 - Passo 1

È ora di cucinare!

Blend the tomatoes in a blender until they're smooth and frothy. Transfer into a saucepan and heat gently.
Add the other ingredients into the pan and mix together: the crushed cloves of garlic, the half onion (peeled), the bay leaves, the parsley, a pinch of table salt and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. (The extra-vergine olive oil gives the best flavour.)

Step 2 - Passo 2

Cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring at regular intervals.
Continue to cook for a further 15 minutes stirring regularly. The sauce will be reducing and becoming thicker.
Next add a cup of milk and mix in well. Gently heat for a further 5-10 minutes until you reach your desired consistency.
Allow to cool before removing the pieces of parsley, garlic, onion and bay leaves. It's now ready to serve.

C'è un ottimo profumo in casa!

È Pronto!

Il sugo di pomodoro - the tomato sauce - is really tasty when served on some lightly-toasted bread.

This type of bread is called la bruschetta.

I Consigli di Melissa

The milk is added at the end to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes. If you're vegan you can skip this step.
It's best to let it cool rather than serve it right away. It becomes a little thicker and the flavour becomes richer. Leave the herbs in the sauce whilst it cools.