Chunky Vegetable Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Finely chop 4 shallots, 1 carrot and 1 celery stalk. Saute in a skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons butter and 2 thyme sprigs, about 6 minutes. Add 1/3 cup white wine and boil until evaporated, then add 4 cups Perfect Marinara Sauce (see Cook's Note) and cook 3 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter and season with salt and pepper. Toss with pappardelle.
• Photograph Kang Kim

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 2 to 4 minutes until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.
• Mix in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until flavors are blended, stirring frequently.

Steps:

• Place 9 x 370ml jars with a wide neck in the dishwasher and wash at 65-70 C (around 149 F). Don't wash the lids in the dishwasher if they are new, just wash with hot soapy water.
• Meanwhile, wash all the tomatoes and peppers and scrape the zucchini lightly leaving some colour.
• Peel and chop the onion and peel and mince the garlic.
• Chop the tomatoes, peppers and zucchini into small chunks depending how chunky you want your sauce.
• Throw everything into a large stock pot and bring to the boil stirring every now and then so that you don't get any pieces stuck on the bottom. Once the tomatoes start to cook, the juices are released and you don't need to stir.
• Add the salt and remaining spices and allow mixture to boil over medium heat for about one hour.
• When the mixture has thickened to your liking turn off the heat but leave the sauce on the hotplate. It must not cool down.
• Dry the washed jars and their lids. The jars should still be slightly warm from the dishwasher.
• Fill each jar to just under the brim and seal carefully. Immediately turn jar upside down.
• Repeat until all the jars are filled.
• When the jars have cooled turn the right way up and store.
• This makes a mild sweet sauce which is very nice with pasta especially as a sauce in vegetarian lasagna.
• Edited: Since discussing canning techniques on the forum I felt I should mention that this method is appropriate for tomatoes in Greece which have a high acidic content. They do not spoil even without processing in a water bath. Traditionally Greeks make tomato sauce with tomatoes and salt, nothing else. Furthermore I don't remove the peel or seeds from the tomatoes as they are sweet and do not detract from the flavour. If your tomatoes are different then please process them so that they do not spoil and peel if you know that the skin will be bitter.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan and gently cook the onion, celery, carrots and leek until soft, about 20 mins. Add the peppers and cook for 10 mins more, then tip in the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar. Simmer for at least 20 mins - the longer the better.
• Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Meanwhile, blitz the sauce with a hand blender until smooth, season and return to the heat to keep warm while the pasta cooks. Drain the pasta and toss through the sauce. Serve in bowls topped with shaved Parmesan and rocket leaves, if you like.
• Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan and gently cook the onion, celery, carrots and leek until soft, about 20 mins. Add the peppers and cook for 10 mins more, then tip in the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar. Simmer for at least 20 mins - the longer the better.
• Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Meanwhile, blitz the sauce with a hand blender until smooth, season and return to the heat to keep warm while the pasta cooks. Drain the pasta and toss through the sauce. Serve in bowls topped with shaved Parmesan and rocket leaves, if you like.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and pork over medium heat until no longer pink; drain., Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, vegetables, sugar, garlic and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Serve with pasta.

Steps:

• In a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms and cook until vegetables soften slightly, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomato puree, season with salt and pepper, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a rapid simmer and cook until zucchini is crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in oregano.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and add to sauce, tossing to combine and adding enough pasta water to create a sauce that coats pasta. Serve immediately.