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Chef John's Authentic Tomato Sauce

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PREP TIME
15 min
COOKING TIME
120 min
TOTAL TIME
135 min
SERVINGS
8 servings
Lunch Dinner Italian
Chef John's Authentic Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 rib celery, finely diced
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
  • water, or as needed
Instructions
1
Combine olive oil, finely chopped onion, and sliced celery in a large, heavy cooking vessel over medium-low heat.
2
Heat the mixture gently, stirring occasionally, until the onion is extremely tender, taking approximately 15 minutes to achieve this.
3
In a separate container, combine the crushed tomatoes with their juice and use your hands to mash them into a smooth consistency. Set this mixture aside for later use.
4
Add minced garlic to the saucepan with the onion and celery mixture, cooking until fragrant for about 1 minute.
5
Combine the garlic-infused mixture with sugar, a pinch of salt, anchovy paste, white wine vinegar, dried Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes in the saucepan.
6
Increase the heat to medium and cook until just enough liquid has evaporated, stirring constantly throughout this process.
7
Add the tomato paste to the saucepan mixture and stir until it is fully incorporated.
8
Combine the hand-crushed tomatoes with parsley in the saucepan and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
9
Gradually reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and all flavors have melded together, taking roughly 1 1/2 hours to achieve this.
10
As the sauce cooks down, add a small amount of water periodically to reach your desired consistency.