Sugo di Pomodoro
Making tomato sugo at the end of the summer is a tradition in our family. Mostly, about half way through the morning, everyone asks me – why don’t we just go to the store and buy it! But there is nothing quite like homemade sugo and when it sustains you throughout the winter months when fresh tomatoes are not available, you feel eternally grateful. This is a big job, so set aside enough time to make it a success.
INGREDIENTS
3kg Soffrito (a mix of finely chopped onion, carrot and celery in equal parts)
10kg Ripe Tomatoes, we favour San Marzano or Piccadilly because that is pretty much what everyone uses over here.
500ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil, this year, we used Carolea from Frantoio Librandi, which is a wonderful partner to tomatoes and sublime with pasta dishes of many types.
Seasoning to taste
25-30 300g jars
METHOD
Depending on the size of your saucepans, you may need to make this in batches. Regardless, it’s worth setting aside half a day, all told.
If you have an excessively large, deep saucepan and a stove that can cope with it, begin with the soffrito, adding it to the olive oil and sauteeing gently until the onions are translucent. I was always told to add salt to your onions to prevent them from burning, so I do this, but it may be an old wives’ tale.
Once softened, add the tomatoes, chopped roughly in to pieces and then stir well to combine. You may wish to add a bit more salt at this point to allow the juice to come out of the tomatoes fully. Then close with a lid and keep the heat relatively low, allowing it to simmer away for around an hour.
At this point, the tomatoes should be at the point of giving way and there should be plenty of liquid in the pot.
Without scalding yourself, this is the point of transferring everything to a moulis. It’s a rather manual part of the process, but it’s worth it to ensure skins and seeds are kept out of your final sauce.
Once you have a smooth passata, return to the pan and reduce further over a low heat to concentrate the flavours. When you are satisfied with the consistency, it’s time to bottle the sauce.
Ensure your bottles or jars have good new lids and have been sterilized. To find out how to do this, follow this reliable link: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-sterilise-jars.
Then ladle in the sugo to your jars and close immediately.
I then lay the jars on their side in a crate or box and cover with a cloth and store in a cool dark place for 3 days in order to create the perfect seal. After this time, you can turn your jars upright and store for up to 12 months.
This sugo can then be used many ways: it’s great for a simple pasta supper, perfect for making a ragu and even for your melanzane parmigiana. You will never regret making this effort and bottling your tomatoes when they are at their peak of goodness and flavour.