No current photos.

Add this recipe to your:

Send this recipe:

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 (175g) Recipe makes 20 servings
Calories 83
Calories from Fat 35		(42%)
Amount Per Serving		%DV
	Total Fat 3.9g	6%
	Saturated Fat 0.6g	2%
	Monounsaturated Fat 2.7g
	Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6g
	Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg		0%
Sodium 216mg		9%
Potassium 508mg		14%
Total Carbohydrate 9.5g		3%
	Dietary Fiber 2.4g	9%
	Sugars 5.7g
Protein 2.6g		5%
detailed view... how is this calculated?

Magic Fresh Tomato Spaghetti, Pasta or Pizza Sauce

Recipe #388224 | 2½ hours | 20 min prep | add private note

⁽⁵⁾ RATE IT NOW Print Recipe

By: ItalianMama
Sep 1, 2009

Check out this trick - a whole, unpeeled tomato goes in the pot, and a tasty, seed-free, peel-free tomato sauce comes out! Okay, well, maybe it's not really magic, but it's a great trick to save you from having to peel, chop, and de-seed all those tomatoes (which is the reason I almost never made sauce from my garden tomatoes until now). We'll take care of the peels and seeds with a blender/food processor and a fine mesh strainer. Yes, a couple of extra things to clean, but it's still faster than all that peeling and chopping! Also, because the peels are cooked in the sauce, you preserve more of the nutrients in them. This is a highly customizable recipe (really more a framework than anything else) - make it smooth or chunky, with meat or vegetarian, regular or low-sodium, or even use it to hide a few extra veggies (a tip for you parents of picky children - you can make them completely undetectable). The quantities are inexact because there's so much variation in the size, taste and texture of fresh tomatoes, and anything else you add will change the flavor. So you really have to adjust the seasonings and other ingredients to compensate. This is part of the art of making tomato sauce, but don't be intimidated! Just add a little bit at a time until it tastes right to you, remembering the axiom: "You can always put more in, but you can't take it back out." Unless you have a real magic wand, of course.

SERVES 20 -25 , 4 quarts (change servings and units)

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 fresh garlic cloves, peeled and slightly crushed (may substitute jarred)
1 (10 ounce) can condensed beef broth (may substitute chicken or vegetable)
3/4 cup red wine (may substitute white, or extra broth)
20 whole fresh tomatoes (exact quantity varies based on size)
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste (may need more depending on thickness desired)
herbs, to taste (I recommend basil and oregano, fresh or dried)
salt and pepper, to taste
meat (optional)
vegetables (optional)

Directions

1
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onions and garlic, and cook until onions are slightly soft and golden, stirring occasionally.
2
Pour in broth and wine, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil.
3
Meanwhile, wash tomatoes. Cut off tops and any damaged parts. Add whole tomatoes to the pot as you go (reserve extra tomatoes to peel, dice and add later if you want a chunky sauce). Note: when I make this, I add however many tomatoes will fit in my 6-quart pot - you will adjust other ingredients later so the exact quantity doesn't matter.
4
You may add extra uncooked veggies you wish to "hide" in the sauce now. Some ideas - peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, even a little spinach. Be aware that it may slightly alter the color of the sauce - it can make it a little more orangey - but the tomatoes and seasonings will completely mask the flavor as long as you don't go overboard and add too much.
5
When all the tomatoes have been added and the broth is boiling, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for about an hour, and then turn off heat.
6
Ladle sauce into a blender or food processor until about 2/3 full - you will need to work in batches. It will be soupy and very hot, so be careful. Process until smooth (there will still be some seeds visible).
7
Pass sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Use a spoon to scrape the sides of the strainer if it clogs, and press all the liquid out. Discard the seeds and pulp from the peels that are left in the strainer. Carefully return sauce to the pot, and place back on medium-high heat.
8
Add tomato paste until sauce is of desired thickness. Add seasonings to taste. Add any additional ingredients you want - diced tomatoes, browned beef or chicken, mushrooms, etc.
9
Return sauce to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for another 30-60 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. If sauce is too tangy, you can add a little sugar to balance it. It will be done when it tastes just right!

Questions about this recipe?

Featured Reviews for This Recipe

From: Wish I Could Cook

On Sep 19, 2009

It is magic! Yes, it takes a lot of time, but it doesn't take a lot of work! I was skeptical when my tomatoes were piled high above the broth/wine mixutre. But I covered the saucepan as directed and in not much time at all everything was soft and soupy and stir-able. I used a little brown sugar to add just a hint of sweetness. I made a mess when I blended it, but the fantasic results of homemade spaghetti sauce are worth it. No problems using my strainer. I'm going to freeze most of it, but I'll likely make a few more batches as the tomato plants have really started taking off...

0 people found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO

From: troseOR

On Sep 3, 2009

This was my first time making sauce from fresh tomatoes. It was time consuming but just as I had expected. I used 22 tomatoes (not sure what kind as they were from my mom's garden), 8 garlic cloves, 1 whole onion and a jar of roasted red peppers. For the herbs I added oregano, basil and thyme. Used two cans of tomato paste and approximately 1/3 cup of sugar to cut the acidity. Used half to make spaghetti and froze the rest for another use. My husband and I both agreed it was the best sauce we had ever tasted. It was more than worth the time it took to make the sauce. I highly recommend! Thanks!

1 person found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO

From: MidwesternBelle

On Sep 7, 2009

As written, this sauce did not work for me. I follwed the directions exactly, pureed my first batch of tomatoes and liquid, put the mixture in a fine mesh strainer - and a small amount of tomato came through, with a lot of tomato pulp waste left over. Not sure what happened, or if my mesh strainer was "too' fine? I did blend it very well in my Cuisinart food processor, so I know that wasn't a problem. I'm not sure how to rectify this, but this is what happened to me. The second batch, I pulled out a food mill and pureed the tomatoes through that. It worked like a charm, and much quicker than it would have been for me to try and scrape all of the tomato puree through my mesh strainer. If anyone wants to try this recipe and has a food mill, I recommend this method if the strainer method does not work to your liking. I added balsamic vinegar, a bit of sugar, dried Italian seasoning, and two cups of diced tomatoes when the sauce was done. It was pretty tasty! I did appreciate how I did not have to seed, peel, and chop my tomatoes. I do plan on using this recipe again, only using the food mill instead of a food processor and a strainer.

2 people found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO

From: GingerlyJ

On Sep 13, 2009

I used this to make Lasanga and it complimented my Lasanaga's flavors perfectly.. It was worth the wait! I felt like a little Sicilan grandmother in my kitchen stirring the pot

1 person found this review helpful

Was this review helpful to you? YES | NO

Read all 5 reviews