Summary

Recipe Story

In the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and India the term "tomato sauce" normally refers to the condiment otherwise known as tomato ketchup in Canada and the US. However, some Italian Americans use the term "gravy" to refer to tomato sauce, especially a tomato sauce with meat. "Sunday gravy" is a common type of long-simmered tomato sauce containing meat (often pork or meatballs; similar to an Italian Neapolitan ragù) that is often identified with Italian-American home cooking. It is generally served over pasta. Others just use the term "sauce" to refer to tomato sauce. Other common regional Italian tomato sauces include Amatriciana (diced tomatoes and pancetta), Arrabbiata (a sauce using chile pepper, used in the dish Penne all'arrabbiata), Vodka sauce (vodka and cream), Salsa Cruda (raw tomatoes), and Puttanesca (olives, garlic, anchovies). Most of these well-known sauces are typical of Roman and Neapolitan cuisine. Tomato sauce and pasta (much like olive oil) were rarely consumed in the North of Italy until they became increasingly available, beginning in the 1960s. Pizza sauce generally refers to a thick, smooth sauce used as a pizza topping. It is similar to but not identical with a marinara sauce and they are not considered interchangeable. It is, however, not universal; some pizza styles prefer a topping made of sliced, diced, or ground tomatoes with minimal seasoning. Escoffier included a tomato sauce recipe using salt pork, butter, and a liaison of wheat flour as one of the mother sauces in his master work, Le Guide Culinaire, but it is not commonly used in French cuisine. Tomato sauce is also used to some extent in Greek cuisine; it is commonly long-simmered and generally spiced with cinnamon and other typical Greek spices. Tomato sauce is also common in Filipino cuisine, where it is almost universally preferred sweet. Tomatoes are native to the Americas, and so therefore the first tomato sauces were made in South America and were extremely spicy. Tomatoes came to Europe in the sixteenth century and were generally avoided becausae they were believed to be poisionous. They were regarded as botanical curiosities and not as food. Slowly, as their true nature became known, the use of them spread throughout Europe.

Ingredients

How to make Tomato Sauce

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a pot. Add garlic and
red pepper flakes and sauté for 2-3 minutes until
garlic is tender and fragrant.
2. Add both your crushed and diced tomatoes, bay
leaf, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil,
then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Stir in your fresh parsley, adjust seasonings and
serve.