RECIPE: If you have time and tomatoes, try this summer sauce
When time is short or your day is long, store-bought pasta sauce gets a meal on the table in a few precious minutes. But there is nothing as simple, and simply delicious, as sauce made from fresh tomatoes at the peak of their season. If baskets of sun-kissed summer tomatoes have you contemplating a from-scratch sauce, here’s your recipe.
This arrabbiata is light and bright, with just enough spicy kick to make it interesting. Which variety of tomatoes should you use? I recommend Roma (plum) tomatoes, because they have denser flesh and fewer seeds. But tomatoes made for slicing, like beefsteak tomatoes, can work if you allow a little extra simmering time to reach your preferred thickness. For the deepest tomato-y flavor, choose ripe tomatoes with firm, heavy flesh that yields when gently pressed.
To keep my kitchen cool, I use my outdoor grill, not indoor oven, to soften the tomatoes. We’ll enhance the char-grill flavor with a shake of smoked paprika after the simmer. Some recipes suggest removing the skin and seeds before simmering, which you certainly can do if you are opposed to either or both. But I find it’s quicker, easier and more nutritious to leave them in.
This sauce freezes beautifully, so if you have a generous amount of tomatoes, consider making multiple batches. Then when the hazy days of August are a distant memory, you can bring sunny summer flavors to your table as easily as you can pop open a jar.
- 5 pounds of ripe Roma tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3/4-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup Chianti
- 1/2-1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Fresh basil, for garnish (optional)
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
- Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and sprinkle the cut sides with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the grill for direct heat. Place the tomatoes skin side down and grill for 5 minutes until the skin is blistered and char marks appear. Flip, cover with the grill lid, and grill 4 minutes more. Remove the tomatoes from the grill and let them cool to room temperature.
- Working in batches, pulse the tomatoes in a food processor 8-10 times until coarsely chopped. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in the Chianti, chopped tomatoes, and any tomato juices. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the smoked paprika. Taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish with fresh basil and/or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan if desired. Makes approximately 6 cups of sauce.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 1-cup serving, without garnish: 107 calories (percent of calories from fat, 26), 4 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 3 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 240 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
