Italian tomato sauce

[spinbaby]

There’s an Italian restaurant near me that has a tomato sauce I just love. They aren’t revealing their secrets. The sauce tastes very fresh and tart—I can’t really detect anything in it that’s not tomato. My first instinct trying to recreate it was to just mash up a can of really good tomatoes and heat it up. That’s not it—this sauce is thicker than that. Looking around online for Italian tomato sauce recipes turns up long cooked sauces full of onions, garlic, and spices—that’s not it.

Anyone have any ideas for recreating a very thick fresh-tasting tomato sauce?

[MiHale]

1. Yes...but it's not a recipe...

It’s more like an experience. I make marinara sauce all the time that rivals any homemade sauce and beats out the jarred sauces hands down but I could not tell you how I make it. We grow all our own tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs for one. I cook, I don’t measure it’s all approximation, I taste and correct. A good marina takes all day cooking, at least, rest time for the ingredients to ‘marry’ together is something most don’t do, add another day.

Just got done turning 9 pounds of Roma’s into a sauce for the Christmas lasagna.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. A couple ideas

Try getting into sauce recipes from restaurant suppliers. There are still suppliers that source solely from Italy. Check NYC area, or Bova I think is one I heard of. As to whether anyone's cracked the formula .......

Also. Spices. Italian Blend usually has rosemary, marjoram, basil, oregano. I personally add black pepper, pink salt, cumin, and absolutely must have ground red pepper to give it a flavor spike.

Recently I made a fresh sauce but didn't have enough tomatoes. I used plum tomatoes. I did have an orange pepper. Threw it all in the blender. No one could have guessed a pepper was in there, but it did have a fresh spike to it.

Ask AI. As if they know anything.

[vanlassie]

3. This one is pretty popular and good.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015178-marcella-hazans-tomato-sauce

[spinbaby]

5. I think that's it!

Like I said, this sauce didn’t taste long cooked or of herbs and spices. I’m off to buy cans of tomatoes.

Thank you!

[Kali]

7. try fresh tomatoes

though this time of year they are pretty awful. cherubs are about the best all year I can find in the stores. just tomatoes and butter are pretty dang good.

[mitch96]

8. uff that dastardly pay wall...nt

[unc70]

4. Try Marcella Hazan's four ingredient sauce

Use that as your baseline.

https://www.thekitchn.com/marcella-hazans-amazing-4ingre-144538


https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015178-marcella-hazans-tomato-sauce

[spinbaby]

6. You're the second to recommend this

I’m definitely trying it.

[mitch96]

9. Went looking around and found the recipe... Too simple. Tomatoes, onions and butter!! I have to try it..

Along with the quick cold start pasta method this is a quick easy dinner. This of course after you have made a few quarts of this style sauce.
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