- 5 lbs ripe Roma tomatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp crushed garlic
- 6 bay leaves
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cup red wine, Cabernet
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp fresh ground pepper
The silky texture is perfect for lasagna, any pasta, and a versatile staple for preparing a number of your favorite dishes. The whole cloves, Bay leaves, and a full-bodied wine give this sauce a unique richness. It takes almost two hours to make it, but most of it is waiting as it simmers to the perfect silky texture. Whenever I find beautiful ripe Roma tomatoes, I make a huge batch, portion it into air-tight containers and freeze them.
- Make an X cut in the bottom of each tomato and throw them in boiling water for 7 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, fish them out into a colander. Peel, halve, seed, and using a blender, puree them with 2 cups of water.
- In a large heavy stockpot, sauté garlic in olive oil over low heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Be careful not to brown it. Add tomato puree, Bay leaves, sugar, cloves, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to the lowest grade and let it simmer for 40 minutes. Add Cabernet, stir to combine, and let it simmer for one more hour or until thickened to a puree consistency. Remove and discard Bay leaves and whole cloves.