Tomato Basil Sauce

Tomato Basil Sauce - Vincenzo's Plate

INGREDIENTS
Extra virgin olive oil
Onion
Celery
Carrot
75-100g/2.6 – 3.5oz fresh basil leaves
2.5kg/10.42 cups Passata OR Peeled/chopped Italian tomatoes


METHOD
1. Make the soffrito, chop up 1 carrot, 100g onion and 1 celery stalk (including the leaves!).
2. Add all of these ingredients into the base of a hand blender with 100ml of extra virgin olive oil, until it becomes beautiful and creamy, like a puree.
3. Next, turn the stove on to a very gentle heat and place the pot on top. Add 3-4 tablespoons of EVOO and pour in the soffrito mix.
4. Gently stir the soffrito so it covers the base of the pot, cover it with a lid and leave it to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5. If you are using chopped or peeled tomatoes, blend them up so they become a beautiful thick passata. If you are using homemade or store bought passata to make your tomato basil pasta sauce, then you can skip this step!
6. After ten minutes, the soffrito will start to darken in colour. Stir it using a wooden spoon (making sure it is not burning) and then leave it to simmer for at least another 5 minutes.
7. When the soffrito is ready, mix in the tomato passata and stir very well using a wooden spoon.
8. Sprinkle 10g/2.2 teaspoons of rock salt and some black pepper and mix through.
9. Now, just cover the tomato basil pasta sauce with a lid and leave it to simmer slowly for 1-1.5hr, remembering to stir it every now and then.
10. After 1hr, remove the lid and leave it for another 30-45min, simmering it without the lid. (It is important to let the sauce simmer without the lid so that the sauce does not become watery.)
12. Turn off the heat/remove from heat.
13. Tear up the basil with your hands, (do NOT use a knife) and add it to the sauce, and stir.

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