All-Season Tomato Sauce
Makes 6 cups; enough for 1 pound of pasta
Cooking Time 5 to 6 hours on Low or 3 to 4 hours on High
Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Nothing is more classic than a simple tomato sauce, but the truth is that to make
a simple sauce with really big flavor, you need perfectly ripe, in-season tomatoes—and
you have to not mind monitoring the stovetop for a couple of hours. For a full-flavored
tomato sauce that was hands-off and could be made year-round, we started with cherry
tomatoes, which offer bright, sweet flavor no matter the season, plus they didn’t
need any prep at all—we just tossed them into the slow cooker with some vegetable
broth. For our aromatics, onion, garlic, and oregano provided a flavorful backbone,
and tomato paste offered depth and complexity. To achieve just the right consistency,
we mashed the tomatoes, but our sauce was still slightly thin. Because the slow cooker
doesn’t allow for any evaporation, we needed to include a thickener. For our next
test, we stirred in a couple of tablespoons of instant tapioca. Finally, we had a
rustic, chunky sauce that clung nicely to our pasta. With a drizzle of olive oil for
richness and chopped basil for freshness, this simple tomato sauce delivered all the
robust, bright flavors we expected—and we didn’t have to wait until the height of
summer to make it. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
|
1 |
cup chopped onion |
|
¼ |
cup extra-virgin olive oil |
|
2 |
tablespoons minced garlic |
|
¼ |
cup tomato paste |
|
1 |
teaspoon dried oregano |
|
2½ |
pounds cherry or grape tomatoes |
|
½ |
cup vegetable broth |
|
2 |
tablespoons instant tapioca |
|
|
Salt and pepper |
|
¼ |
cup chopped fresh basil |
1. Microwave onion, 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, tomato paste, and oregano in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes, broth, tapioca, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook until tomatoes are very soft and beginning to disintegrate, 5 to 6 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high.
2.Using potato masher, mash tomatoes until mostly smooth. Before serving, stir in basil and remaining 3 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.