Let’s get down to basics … Italian basics … tomato sauce. For some reason when someone says “I made sauce,” a lull comes over the crowd, and inevitably, a hushed voice will answer, “you made sauce?,”  like a scene from the Godfather.  

IT IS NOT HARD TO MAKE TOMATO SAUCE!  

In fact, it’s so easy, it’s my go to when I feel culinarily sluggish. Last night I did it over spinach and mozzarella ravioli … it was so good, and the entire meal took twenty minutes.

I have no pic of my sauce, and I apologize, but when you see the list of ingredients, you will understand why it wouldn’t make any difference. Lol. I like a chunkier sauce, not the velvety puree we see so much of.

• 3 cans diced tomatoes (I prefer San Marzano BRAND, if you can find them)
• 1 can whole tomatoes
• 7 or eight cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced into chunky slices.
• Very good extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

 
Get the olive oil nice and hot but NOT burning over medium heat.  When the garlic is sizzling, lightly browned and fragrant, add the diced tomatoes. Stir.  Add the whole tomatoes which should have some juice to them.
 
Add salt and pepper to taste.
 
I would cook this on low for 45 minute to an hour for best results, if you make it in the morning,   If you have the time to let the sauce simmer for a little longer, do it, but don’t let it reduce too much or it becomes to glue-y. 
 
Break up the whole tomatoes and stir during the cooking, but neither have to be perfectly timed or broken down.
 
The longer the flavors mesh, the more flavorful your sauce, even if it stays in the pot for the day till dinner, with no heat. Pour it over the pasta of your choice.
 
If you use Kosher salt, which I do recommend, do not oversalt. The beauty of Kosher salt is its staying power. It salts but becomes saltier, and the next day even saltier, which is why historically it was used, and still is today, as a preservative.  So, if you want to preserve your kidneys, don’t over pour.
 
In the summer, I like to throw in fresh basil, but I do not use any oregano, ever. 
My nonna’s meat sauce is a little more involved but amazing for a Sunday dinner.
I’ll get to that one, too. But for a weeknight, keep it simple….buon appetito.

If you have ever visited Italy, the likelihood of finding “parmesan,” or in true Italian, parmigiano anything is very slim.  Italians do like their cheese, but they do not melt it or shred it or paste it on every dish they create.  You definitely NEVER put cheese on fish or you could be arrested.  I once observed an American tourist order shrimp in Venice, and after delivery, asked for cheese.   The waiter refused.  They had an argument, and I think the waiter started to cry like there had been an Italian death.  It’s really that much of a sacrilege in the Italian community. 
 
However, the notion of parmigiano(a) (or shoot me now, parmesan) did come from somewhere, and has bled its bastardized way onto Italian menus across this great land of ours because Americans like it.  They would “parmesan” anything from gummy bears to toilet paper if they could.   I am sure there are versions of things that had their origins in Italy, or possibly Parma, where our beloved Parmigiano comes from, and my kids like most true blooded pizza lovers, do like their cheese on everything.  If you can’t beat’em, join ‘em, but with a compromise. Giada DeLaurentiis, the skinniest chef  with the whitest teeth I have ever seen, has pretty quick authentic Italian delights, and I will say, her unbreaded chicken parm is one of my favorites, and my baby Al’s.
 
I make my own sauce, which for many seems to be a heroic feat. It takes me about ten minutes, about six ingredients,and that’s it.  (That will be another post. ) Giada says you can use “good quality” jarred sauce, so if you must, it’s ok.

There is about ten minutes of “browning” involved, so that may take up some kitchen time, but the entire meal should not take more than ½ hour to prepare.    You can pair it with a side salad or cooked veggie, and it’s a sure crowd pleaser even the mayor of Parma might approve of.
 
HIP MOM HINT:  If you have time to prep this in the morning or a few hours before dinner time,  prep it until right before the butter pats kiss the chicken (if your sauce is hot, it will melt the butter).  At the last minute, you can throw it into the oven to finish cooking.  I usually make this in the morning, and whoever is home can pop it into the oven at dinner time.

I wait for the latest issue of Food Network magazine like I used to wait for the latest issue of Tiger Beat.  They have a section I love called “weeknight dinners,”  which are quick and simple little jaunts to the kitchen, and voila’ you have  a meal.
 
Obviously, there are so many other recipes to drool over, and I make some of those during the week too, but these are definitely time savers.   My nonna, who passed away at the age of 91, after cooking bacala, trippe, pasta e ceci, and a sundry of other authentically pleasing Italian delights her whole life, is probably clutching her rosary right now for my culinary salvation, since this recipe doesn’t cook for hours, and you can use pre-made chicken stock.
 
This soup was so delicious, and whips up quickly.  With a side of bread and a salad, it was a pretty filling meal.  Now, since I am homemade during the week, I like things that prep in the morning that either cook most of the day, or one dish wonders I can throw right in at dinner time.  This one, has a bit of both. If you have a half hour before dinner, everything can be done. If you don’t, I suggest getting your lemon zest ready, cutting your parmesan rind, and chopping the smoked pork. If that in total takes you more than 20 minutes, you need to go back to hot pockets, and we’ll get back to this at a later date.
 
Hip Mom Hint;  They do say to throw the tortellini in while the water is boiling.  I do not.   As the tortellini cook, they absorb the broth, leading to swollen tortellini, and lack of brodo.  Your recipe will be just…tortellini.  Flavorful, but just tortellini.   You might like that … mutual kitchen respect says “judge not lest you shall be judged.” Just my opinion.
 
So, “buon appetito…” let me know how you did.