(Your Mother Doesn’t Love You) Quick Red Sauce

STORY

Ten plus years ago when I moved to New York my good friend told me a story. Many years ago, when he was in junior high school in Brooklyn he had an Italian-American friend…let’s call him Joey. From his recollection, Joey was the sort of kid who had strong opinions and an even stronger voice when articulating his opinions. He both admired and loathed this particular trait in Joey. Joey’s loud voice was especially loathsome when he learned that my friend’s mother, a West Indian transplant, cooked him spaghetti and meat sauce by using a jar of tomato sauce.

Joey protested loudly, shook his head and said, “Your mother doesn’t love you if she gives you sauce out of a jar.”

“What does that mean?” my friend asked innocently.

“What does that mean?” I echoed when my friend retold the story to me.

Red sauce, or a Neapolitan sauce, had, at that point remained a mystery to me. I hadn’t a clue just how easy it was to put together a tomato sauce. And I stayed addicted to using a jar (and heavily doctoring the sauce like a good Guyanese girl) until one day, I craved tomato sauce and didn’t have a jar at home. God bless Giada de Laurentiis’ and her generous sharing of her simple red sauce. I had the makings of a red sauce all along (onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, bay leaves), but never knew it. And after learning the simple secret, I became adamant that perhaps Joey was right. Late one night after a delicious simple pasta dinner I called my friend, and I exclaimed.

“Joey was right! Your mother doesn’t love you if she gives you sauce out of a jar!”

Here is my quick rendition for why believe that is the case:

RECIPE

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes

TOOLS

• 1 small food processor
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 10-inch skillet

INGREDIENTS

1 can of tomatoes (or three fresh red plum, vine tomatoes)
2 carrots
1 stick of celery
1 half onion
1 clove of garlic, crushed and chopped
1 sprig of rosemary or 1 tbsp of fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 frozen red wine cube (I always freeze leftover wine in ice trays… Yes, I have leftover wine!)
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

METHOD

1. In a food processor, blend mirepoix (celery, carrot and onion) until chopped fine.
2. Heat olive oil 10-inch skillet on medium-high heat.
3. Add mirepoix and cook until onions are translucent (about 8 minutes).
4. While mirepoix is cooking, blend tomatoes in food processor until tomatoes are pureed.
5. Add garlic and cook on top of mirepoix mixture for about 1 minute.
6. Add pureed tomatoes.
7. Add bay leaves and fresh rosemary or thyme leaves.
8. Cook on medium-high until sauce begins to boil, and then lower temperature to low to allow sauce to simmer.
9. Simmer until sauce reduces 1/3, or until sauce becomes chunky.
10. You should yield enough sauce for 2-3 meals (depending on your appetite).
11. Serve with fresh parsley or rosemary, and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano over your favorite pasta.

(Photo Credit: Matthew G. Piccolo