Ken's Italian Tomato Sauce - Rich, deep and bold.
Slice a bulb of fresh garlic into slivers and saute them in olive oil. Add chopped onions and a few slices of Prosciutto de Palma. Saute until the onions are soft and almost brown. Grind on some fresh pepper and add a pinch of salt. Then add some chicken stock, white wine and water. Use a high quality dry white wine, never use so called "cooking wine".
Now you're ready for a few tricks that will produce a real tomato sauce. One that's rich, deep and bold.
Add Italian San Marzano Tomatoes. Buy a can, but make sure it has the DOP stamp. This guarantees authenticity. Without the DOP stamp you're not getting the real thing no matter what the label says. Then take a folk and crush all the tomatoes into pulp.
While simmering drop in a small chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. No, not Parmesan cheese, real Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Add plenty of fresh basil leaves. Rip them or chop them to release the oils.
Then simmer, stirring occasionally. Add liquid as required so it does not burn. Liquid can be water, chicken stock or white wine.
How to use the sauce.
Throw in a load of clams. Boil until all the clams are open (discard any that don't open) then throw in shrimp and fresh pasta. Let boil briefly then turn off the heat.
Serve in big bowls.
Tech Notes: Fresh pasta cooks quickly, so keep an eye on it.
Optional. While frying the onions and garlic add a stick of cinnamon and a few cloves. Leave them in for the whole recipe. It adds a gentle aromatic twist to the sauce and gives it more depth.
Content written and posted by Ken Abbott abbottsystems@gmail.com
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