Tomato sauce is one of those items that has been cursed by its commonality. Because the sauce is used so frequently it is often overlooked and prepared with little to no thought or effort. There are a few problems with this. First of all, we don't just eat tomato sauce. The sauce is used as a component in numerous dishes and so if it isn't good those dishes won't be good either. The second problem is more of a philosophical one. If we can't put in the effort to make something fairly simple the best it can be, what happens when we tackle more complex items?
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A Great Tomato Sauce Is Balanced
What separates a regular tomato sauce from a great one? The answer is simple. Balance. It is surprisingly rare to find a tomato sauce that has a balance of flavour. Sometimes you can hardly taste the tomatoes for the amount of garlic, or there are big chunks of uncooked onion. Often tomato sauces find themselves being either way too sweet or way too acidic.
A great tomato sauce is balanced. There is a touch of sweetness, a hint of garlic, a mild acidity. The flavours should be subtle and leave you wanting more, not overpowering and fatiguing on the palate. This idea of balance is really what separates good food from great food -- it applies to virtually everything you cook.
The Seven Essential Ingredients
The perfect tomato sauce consists of only seven ingredients:
- Tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar
- Olive oil
Because there are so few ingredients they must be of the best quality in order to produce the best sauce. It is perfectly okay to use canned tomatoes but don't buy the discount brand. There is only a few cents difference between good canned tomatoes and mediocre canned tomatoes. I generally use San Marzano tomatoes which are grown and imported from Italy. They are not really expensive, but honestly make a world of difference. This is a perfect example of keeping food simple -- fewer ingredients, better quality, outstanding results.
The Importance of Caramelizing the Onions
When making the sauce it is all about pulling the natural flavours out of the ingredients. For example, taking the time to slowly caramelize the onions in olive oil before adding the garlic and tomatoes. The natural sugars that have been drawn out of the onion will add depth of flavour and also sweetness. This means less refined sugar needs to be added to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
Cooking the garlic with the onions for a minute or two will draw the natural oils out and add to the flavour as well. Make sure you preheat your pan properly before you start -- it makes a real difference in how evenly your onions cook.
How Long to Simmer
Once the tomatoes have been added to the pot they must simmer for at least thirty minutes but no longer than an hour. If the sauce is cooked for more than an hour the flavours and nutrients start to be lost. Thirty to forty minutes is kind of the window to aim for.
Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar prior to letting it simmer. Once the thirty or forty minutes have passed, taste the sauce and season again with salt, pepper, and sugar as needed. Remember the sugar is to balance the acidity in the tomatoes and to complement their natural sweetness. The sauce should not be overly sweet.
A Base for Many Other Sauces
You are probably thinking that this sauce is pretty boring. There isn't any meat or vegetables. The reason being that this sauce is a base used to make many other sauces. If we wanted to make a meat sauce, brown some meat, deglaze with a bit of wine and add a few scoops of this tomato sauce. We could then finish with some fresh basil.
We could also sauté some seafood then add a scoop of this sauce and a touch of cream. Because we put the effort in to make the base tomato sauce the best it could be, our derivative sauces will be that much better. If you want to learn more about building sauces from a solid foundation, have a look at my guide to the basics of sauce making.
Tips for a Better Tomato Sauce
Here are a few additional tips I have picked up over the years that will help you get the most out of your sauce:
- Crush the tomatoes by hand. Rather than using pre-crushed canned tomatoes, buy whole canned tomatoes and crush them yourself. You get a better texture and more control over how chunky or smooth the sauce is.
- Don't skip the sugar. A small pinch of sugar is not about making the sauce sweet. It is about taming the natural acidity of the tomatoes so the other flavours can shine through.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot. A thin pot will create hot spots that can scorch the sauce. A heavy pot distributes heat evenly and prevents burning during the long simmer.
- Simmer with the lid slightly ajar. This allows some moisture to evaporate, which concentrates the flavour and gives you a thicker, richer sauce.
- Make a big batch. Tomato sauce freezes beautifully. Make a double or triple batch and freeze it in portions. You will always have a quality sauce ready to go.
The Philosophy of Taking Your Time
This idea of taking the time to make the sauce the best it can be is really translatable to cooking in general. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing right. Right? The only separation between a good dish and a great dish is the minor details. That little extra effort or time that makes all the difference.
This really is more of a philosophy than a technique but I promise you will be able to taste the difference. Thinking about food in this way, about taking the time, and putting in that little extra will change how you cook and how well you cook everything.
Final Thoughts
A great tomato sauce is one of the most valuable things you can learn to make. It forms the backbone of so many dishes -- from lasagna to braised meats to a simple bowl of pasta. Master this base sauce, and you will find that dozens of other recipes in your kitchen immediately get better too.
