For ➍1 kg plum tomatoes, cored & chopped*
1 clove of garlic
1 stick of celery
1 small carrot
½ medium onion
bunch of parsley
1 fresh or dried hot pepper, ribbed & seeds discarded**
olive oil
salt & pepper
½ ts sugar**
bunch of basil
Place the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, pepper, cut up tomatoes, and parsley in a pot, add just a few drops of water. Simmer till the tomatoes begin to fall apart.***
After cooking, crank the pomarola through a food mill, discarding the skins and seeds. Or puree the sauce in a food processor. (Add some sugar to counter the tartness of the tomato skins.)**
Check the seasoning.
Return the sauce to the fire until it has thickened somewhat, and a drop put on a plate no longer gives off a huge watery halo (depending on how watery the sauce was to begin with, this can take up to 1 h).
When the sauce is done, stir in the basil leaves and turn off the heat.
Transfer the sauce at once to clean sterile jars, sealing each from the air by pouring a thin layer of olive oil over the sauce. Screw the lids onto the jars, and once they have cooled, refrigerate them.
Use 10 cl of pomarola and 125 g pasta per serving.
After you've cooked and drained the pasta, stir in the pomarola and a dab of butter, then serve it with freshly grated Parmigiano.
*Or use canned plum tomatoes.
**Optional.
***The other vegetables might be sautéed, diminishing the tomato flavour. Mince the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, red pepper, and parsley. Sauté them in 8 cl of olive oil. Meanwhile, core and cut up the tomatoes. As soon as the onion has turned translucent, add the tomatoes and 1 ts of salt to the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, till the tomatoes begin to fall apart.
****For a variation, heat the pomarola over the stove. For 4, stir in 10 cl of fresh cream when it begins to bubble. When the sauce is heated through, use it to season your pasta, turning it pink or rosé.
Read a quick version of penne rosé.
