This homemade tomato sauce recipe is typical of the Mediterranean Catalan cuisine. When you cook it patiently and let the onions and tomatoes caramelize, it can bring a simple Mediterranean diet recipe to a whole new level of culinary succulency.
This fresh tomato sauce is another version of the sofregit recipe called for in so many Mediterranean Catalan recipes.
Although tradition doesn’t generally prescribe it, it can also be very useful as a standalone fresh tomato sauce for a vegetarian pasta or rice dish.
For instance, you can pour it over your favorite pasta for a quick undemanding meal. Or do as Colman Andrews, the author of the bible of Catalan Cuisine does: Use it as the starting point for soups and stocks that aren’t Catalan at all.
The best homemade tomato sauce is when the onions and tomatoes merge, and you get a confiture-like texture. At the same time, the ingredients keep their personality and you can still identify them.
We feature two versions of this complete Catalan sofregit with five ingredients: a regular and a faster one.
Ingredients
Yields 1 1/2 cups
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium size onions (7 ounces or 200 g), peeled and finely chopped
- 5 medium-sized ripe tomatoes (1 pound or 450 g) peeled and chopped. Seeding is optional.
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- The leaves of 1 small sprig flat Italian parsley, minced
Preparation method
Preparation time: 10 to 15 minutes.
Cooking time: 45 minutes. Faster version: 15 to 25 minutes.
- Put the tomatoes in a bowl and pour some boiling water over them. Set them aside for 5 minutes. Peel the tomatoes.
- If you do seed the tomatoes, remember to put the seeds in a small bowl so that you can later drain them and use the juice. So now seed and chop the tomatoes.
- Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic.
- Finely chop the Italian parsley leaves. The fastest method is putting the leaves in a small glass or cup and use the kitchen scissors upside down.
- Add the olive oil to an earthenware casserole or Dutch oven. When the olive oil is hot, turn the heat to low and add the onions. Cook the onions uncovered for 15 minutes or until they turn golden and begin to caramelize. Stir often with a wooden spoon. You also have the option to cook the onion longer, so that it really turns into caramel. But then you have to be very careful not to let it burn and increase the amount of olive oil at the beginning.
- 13 minutes into cooking the onions, add the minced garlic and parsley. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes and add the chopped tomato with all its juices.
- Cover and bring the tomato sauce to a gentle boil. Make sure that the heat is set to low and cook for 30 minutes stirring occasionally or until the homemade tomato sauce obtains a confiture-like texture. As with the onion, you can increase the cooking time, until the tomatoes caramelize completely. But then you’ll have to add some water.
Faster version of this tomato sauce recipe
- Put the tomatoes in a bowl and pour some boiling water over them. Set them aside for 5 minutes. Peel and chop the tomatoes.
- Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic.
- Finely chop the parsley leaves.
- Add the olive oil to an earthenware casserole or Dutch oven. When the olive oil is hot, turn the heat to medium-low and add the onions. Cook the onions uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle some water over the onion if you are afraid that it burns.
- Add the minced garlic and parsley. Stir for 1 minute and add the chopped tomato.
- Cover and bring the tomato sauce to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
