Tomato sauce

Pasta with a simple tomato sauce is just about my favourite food.  The two most important things to remember when making this sauce are 1) to cook it fast, as this gives a fresher flavour, and 2) to pass it through a food mill once cooked (rather than pureeing in a food processor), as this results in a red rather than orange sauce.

Season:  Summer /Autumn

Type:  Big dishes, Pasta

Difficulty:  Easy

Serves:  8 at home or 24 tastes in the classroom

Fresh from the garden:  tomatoes, garlic

Recipe source: Lou’s recipe

• scales
• metric measuring cups
• chopping boards & non-slip mats
• medium knives
• zester
• 2 medium saucepans
• food mill (mouli)

• 1.5 kg ripe tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

• Set out your equipment and ingredients.
• Cut the tomatoes into quarters and put in the saucepan.
• Use the zester to grate the garlic and add to the saucepan with the olive oil.  Cook over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have collapsed and become pulpy.
• Remove from the heat.  Pass the tomato mixture through the coarsest disc of a food mill (mouli) and return to a clean saucepan.
• (If you prefer a smoother sauce, pass the mixture through the food mill’s medium disc.  You may also thicken the sauce by reducing it in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently.)
• Add the sugar to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper, heat gently.  It is now ready to toss with the pasta.

• Pureeing a sauce using a food mill.
• Initially this sauce is cooked quickly over medium-high heat to retain flavour and colour, then once the sauce is cooked, it is heated gently over low heat.