Name: Aromatic Tomato Sauce
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 small red onion , or small white onion, minced; 1 medium carrot , peeled and minced; 1 medium rib celery , minced; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes , in juice, juice reserved, tomatoes seeded, then crushed; 1/4 cup red wine

Why This Recipe Works

For some simple tomato sauce recipes based on just three ingredients (tomatoes, olive oil or butter, and salt), we found the following techniques essential: First, we removed the excess seeds, which are bitter and have an unappealing texture, by pushing the core of seeds out with our fingers. Next, we crushed the tomatoes evenly, using a potato masher, our hands, or a fork. Tomato sauce recipes without meat were best when cooked relatively quickly, to retain the fresh, fruity flavor of the tomatoes.

Before You Begin

This elegant, fragrant sauce is suitable for fresh, dried or stuffed pasta. If you do not have a food mill, the sauce can be pureed in a food processor, although the result will be less refined. It's different from other versions as its base is a mirepoix sautéed in butter.

Instructions

Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan. Add onion, carrot and celery; sauté gently until softened, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, then the tomatoes, their liquid and wine. Simmer, partially covered, stirring frequently until sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 45 minutes. Puree by passing through a food mill. Return to simmer; season to taste with salt and pepper; before serving, stir in remaining butter.