"Actually Homemade" Tomato Sauce

I’m such a sucker for any reality TV food shows. Does anyone remember "Chef Academy" on Bravo? I particularly liked this show as it takes every day people and a famous (and hot) French chef teaches them to cook like a professional. One student, Carissa, was sent there by her future mother-in-law who insists she needs to know how to cook if she’s to marry her son. But my favorite character is Suzanne. Suzanne appears to be a stereotypical Orange County housewife complete with a fake tan and bleach blonde hair. Everyone thinks she is a joke, but she wins the first competition by cooking her mom’s Swedish pancakes. Maybe the reason I like this show is because it makes me think “Hey, if they can do it, then why not me?”

In one of the episodes, Chef Novelli teaches his students to cook his grandmother’s tomato sauce. My idea of homemade tomato sauce used to start with a jar of sauce and was “homemade” because I added vegetables and ground beef to it. Additionally, being from Italian decent, shouldn’t I know how to make a tomato sauce from, like, actual tomatoes?

Ingredients:

• 6 lbs beef or heirloom tomatoes
• 4 star anise
• 1 vanilla pod
• sea salt and cracked black pepper to season
• dash of sugar
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 5 fresh garlic cloves
• handful of fresh basil
• good quality olive oil

Directions:  You can view a video demonstration by Chef Novelli here.

1. Slice the tomatoes in half and place in hot pan. Season with salt, pepper, and touch of sugar. Add anise. Cut vanilla pod in half, scrapping out the seeds, and the add in the whole thing to tomatoes.
2. Allow tomatoes to start cooking and then press them gently with a masher to help them release their juices.
3. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and continue cooking for 1-2 hours until thickened into a paste.
4. Crack the garlic and chiffonade the basil, and add to tomato sauce. Allow to cook for a few minutes longer.
5. Finish by stirring in some olive oil.  

You can really tell this tomato sauce is fresh. It is really light and a perfect summer tomato sauce (rather than a heavy, meaty, winter sauce). I would have never thought to use anise or vanilla, but the flavors all worked so well together, and I loved the fresh basil that was added at the end.

I served the tomato sauce over fried polenta cakes. To make polenta cakes, start by bringing 6 cups of water to a boil. Quickly stir in 3 cups of polenta, making sure there are no lumps.Place polenta into sheet pan or baking dish and allow to cool in fridge. Once firm, cut into circles, and lightly pan fry in olive oil. Delicious!