floral line
Home Pasta Sauce Back
sage_left I usually make a big pot of this stuff. It keeps well in the fridge and can be divided up into plastic containers for freezing (if it lasts long enough). These ingredients and measures are somewhat flexible. However they are consistant with my last two batches which I tried to measure out as I went along. sage_right
floral_line

What you need:

1 3/4 cups Fresh chopped corriander.
2 tblspn Fresh chopped oregano.
1 tblspn Dried thyme, or fresh if you have it.
4 - 5 Finely sliced fresh basil leaves.
? Optional mixed herbs. See below.
6 cloves Finely chopped garlic.
chile(s) ? To be completely safe just add cayenne pepper as you go until you've reached your personal comfort zone.
6 Coursely chopped fresh tomatos.
4 - 5 Fresh green capsicums, quarter, clean out seeds and slice diagonally into strips 1/4" (5 mm.) wide.
2 med. size Chopped onions. Brown onions have stronger flavour, red onions are more friendly, both have there virtues. Suit yourself.
3 314 g. cans of tomato concentrate. This has different names in different countries just make sure it's the stuff you can stand a spoon up in.
1 425 g. can of crushed or diced tomatos.
1/4 cup Olive oil although a decent veggie oil will do the same thing.
1/2 cup Fresh parmesian (or romano) cheese. Get some good stuff from a deli and avoid the cardboard containers sitting on the shelf.
1 cup Red wine. Inexpensive dry reds work just fine. If you are a non-drinker, don't worry, the alcohol cooks out. You want the red wine flavours and acidity. If the bottles a left over, give it a smell befor using it.


Methodology:
  1.  Get your sauce base simmering first by putting the tomato paste, crushed tomatos, chopped tomatos, coriander, oregano and thyme in a large sauce pan set on simmer. Note that you should add 1 1/2 to 2 140 g. cans of water with every can of tomato concentrate.

  2.  Next get ready to sauté the onions and capsicum. I use a wok and approach doing this similarly to stir frying. As such I add the aromatics/spices/chiles to the oil first so that their qualities combine with the oil.

    • Keep the basil leaves, chile, garlic, onions and capsicum seperate and stage near your stove.
    • Pre-heat the olive oil in wok (or large skillet). When oil is hot enough to bounce a drop of water ( be careful there! ), add the basil then chile, then garlic and stir rapidly.
    • Before the basil leaves et.al. start to burn, add the onions.
    • As soon as the chopped onions begin to turn translucent along the edges add the capsicums.
    • Keep turning the capsicums in with the onions. Normally you would not stir fry this much at one time but we are know just combining the flavours with the capsicums. Turn down the flame and simmer under cover while occasionally turning. When the capsicums are halfway to soft, add contents of wok to saucepan.
    • Note: If you prefer a distinct herbal face add some mixed herbs to the capsicums as they simmer in the wok.

  3.  Once you have finished sautéing and everything has been combined in the suacepan, allow the whole lot to simmer away, stirring occassionally until you can notice the tomato chunks breaking down and the capsicum pieces begining to reduce in size.

  4.  At this point if you haven't already had a taste, do so. Decide for yourself if you need/want to add anything else. Don't add more water at this stage because you still have to add red wine, but if you find you are lacking volume or enough "tomato" flavour, add another 1/2 to 1 can of tomato concentrate.

  5.  You may have been thinking that the sauce is lacking something but this is about to change
    • Add another 1/4 cup olive oil and stir in well. This will help the parmesian cheese evenly disperse into the sauce.
    • Next gradually introduce the parmesian cheese into the sauce stirring it in as you go along.
    • Now add the red wine, stir it in and allow everything to simmer for between 15 to 30 minutes more

  6.  Set the sauce aside while your pasta boils or it is cool enough to put into storage containers and ENJOY!
Return to top of page