Fresh Tomato Sauce with Fennel and Orange
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 (Makes enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta)
Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided1 medium bulb fennel, trimmed of stalks, halved, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 ½ cups)2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)½ teaspoon fennel seed, lightly crushedPinch saffron, crushed (optional)⅛ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes 2 strips orange peel (each 3 by 1 inch)3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice from 1 orange3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 ¾ cups)3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil ¼ teaspoon table salt ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Before You Begin
Any short tubular or curly pasta works well with this sauce. If your tomatoes are tart, you may need to add up to 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned around edges, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, fennel seed, saffron (if using), pepper flakes, and orange peel; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomato pieces lose their shape to form chunky sauce, about 10 minutes.
- Remove and discard orange peel. Stir in orange juice, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Toss sauce and remaining 2 tablespoons oil with pasta and serve.
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 (Makes enough to sauce 1 pound of pasta)Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium bulb fennel, trimmed of stalks, halved, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 ½ cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon fennel seed, lightly crushed
Pinch saffron, crushed (optional)
⅛ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
2 strips orange peel (each 3 by 1 inch)
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice from 1 orange
3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 ¾ cups)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium bulb fennel, trimmed of stalks, halved, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 ½ cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon fennel seed, lightly crushed
Pinch saffron, crushed (optional)
⅛ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
2 strips orange peel (each 3 by 1 inch)
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice from 1 orange
3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 ¾ cups)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium bulb fennel, trimmed of stalks, halved, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 ½ cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
½ teaspoon fennel seed, lightly crushed
Pinch saffron, crushed (optional)
⅛ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
2 strips orange peel (each 3 by 1 inch)
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice from 1 orange
3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 ¾ cups)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon table salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Why This Recipe Works
To capitalize on the full, robust flavor of great seasonal tomatoes, we found that any type of tomato tasted fine when skinned, seeded, chopped, and simmered in a skillet with garlic and olive oil—as long as it was ripe. But for suitable additions to finish our fresh tomato sauce recipes, we needed to look beyond the usual suspects like parsley and ricotta and find forceful flavors—potent herbs and spices (piney rosemary), cured meats (smoky bacon), and assertive cheeses (pungent feta), using them judiciously to keep the sauce in balance.
Before You Begin
Any short tubular or curly pasta works well with this sauce. If your tomatoes are tart, you may need to add up to 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned around edges, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, fennel seed, saffron (if using), pepper flakes, and orange peel; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomato pieces lose their shape to form chunky sauce, about 10 minutes.
- Remove and discard orange peel. Stir in orange juice, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Toss sauce and remaining 2 tablespoons oil with pasta and serve.
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