Tomato sauce, also known as red sauce, is a staple in cuisines around the world but many enjoy this sauce in the South. Cooking tomatoes down into a sauce can become a great part of any dish, like marinara sauce, pasta sauce, or even Creole entree toppings. Compliment any dish with tomato sauce by using it in some new, fun, and creative ways!
- Simple Tomato Sauce Recipe
- The Different Types of Tomato Sauce
- Three New Ways To Use Tomato Sauce
- About Dagostino’s Handmade Tomato Sauces
Simple Tomato Sauce Recipe
The simplest way to create a sauce from tomatoes is by following this iconic recipe by Marcella Hazan.
In her recipe published by the New York Times, she calls for 2 cups of tomatoes with their juices included, 5 tablespoons of butter, salt, and 1 onion that’s peeled and cut into halves.
For this recipe, it's recommended to use a 28 ounce can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes.
The first step is to combine all ingredients into a saucepan and place on medium heat.
As the tomatoes simmer, continue to cook uncovered for 45 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add salt, and mash large pieces of tomato with your spoon so they fully cook down.
Remove the onion and toss the mixture with a pound of fresh pasta.
Feel free to add more of the tomatoes or diced tomatoes to your sauce towards the end of the sauce for a chunky and hearty texture of sauce.
The Different Types of Tomato Sauce
A classic dish like tomato sauce has many different variations, each one with a unique spin making an infinite amount of different types of sauce.
One of our favorite types of tomato sauce is Puttanesca. Puttanesca is a sauce originating in Naples, Italy. It’s described as a robust version of a traditional tomato sauce. The flavors of anchovies, olives and capers combine together to create a strong flavor profile that pairs perfectly with tender pasta.
Another type of tomato sauce many love to serve at family dinner is Arrabbiata sauce. Arrabbiata Sauce originated in Rome during the spicy food craze between the 1950s-1960s. In fact, the word Arrabbiata directly translates to "angry" in Italian. This sauce is typically made with peeled fresh tomatoes, onions and garlic, plenty of chili pepper, raw parsley, salt and extra virgin olive oil.
Three New Ways To Use Tomato Sauce
Home cooks may be looking for new ways to use tomato sauce, or new ways to elevate your classic recipe, and we have just the thing:
- Try it for breakfast! A fun way to spice up your breakfast routine is to introduce tomatoes. In this instance we recommend simmering eggs in tomato sauce until the eggs are firm and ready to eat! Serve with your favorite toast.
- Serve it with beans! It’s extremely common in Tuscany to enjoy beans with tomato puree as an ingredient, but we’re inspired to try this Western Lima Beans recipe by Camellia Beans that calls for tomato sauce!
- Use as a marinade! The natural sugar found in tomatoes adds the sweetness found in most marinades. Plus, the acidity will allow meat to cook more tenderly than other marinades. Adding a few more seasonings and a bit of liquid to your sauce and letting your preferred protein to marinate for about 20 minutes is a great way to level up grill nights.
About Dagostino’s Handmade Tomato Sauces
Since 1926, Dagostino’s has been committed to providing pasta and sauces that have Italian roots with a Southern flare. Our handmade sauces are slow cooked and our chefs are there every step of the creating process.
Our sauces have all the flavors of authentic Italian cuisine plus all the convenience of a store-bought jarred sauce. Not only do we have all the flavor of simmering tomatoes for hours, but our ingredients make it taste just as fresh as home cooking.
Learn more about what makes Dagostino Sauce so special in our blog Sauce, the Dagostino way.
Our sauces are some of the most authentic sauces available outside of Italy. The sauces are handmade in small batches with a unique blend of fresh herbs and spices. Made without preservatives, each batch is carefully examined by our chefs and food scientists to ensure our sauces are the best tasting on the market.
You will experience our time honored family treasure in every meal.