Classic pasta – SALSA DI POMODORI

Serve 4-6 persons
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Salsa di pomodori is not used just in pasta dishes, but also needed, for example, when preparing pizza, various different meat dishes, and fish stews. The outside sine qua non here are tasty tomatoes that have ripened on the vine. Only they have the right note of fruity sweetness. Elongated plum tomatoes are the most suitable. In late summer, most Italian households stock up on the basic ingredients for making tomato sauce at home. Whole family even get together to cook pounds of tomatoes to a purée, called passato. Outside the summer months, it is a good idea to use pelati – Italian tomatoes. The best come from the regions of Naples or Parma. Of course, it is also possible to use other canned tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS:
1 kg ripe tomatoes
1 carrot
1 stick celery
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 spring fresh rosemary
1 bunch basil
1 pinch sugar
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

HOW TO MAKE:
1. First, skin the tomatoes. To do this, make a cross-shaped cut into the skin, then blanch in boiling water. Plunge the tomatoes into cold water and remove the skin with a knife. It is also possible to use canned, skinned tomatoes.

Coarsely chop the tomatoes. Finely chop the carrot, celery, and garlic.
2. Sauté the vegetables in the heated oil. They should take on just a hint of color and not be allowed to brown too much. Add the tomatoes and spices. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes. The sauce should eventually have the consistency of mush and be quite viscous.
3. Press the sauce through a sieve, or purée it in a blender, and mix in the chopped basil.