Cooking with Jonny69: Real pasta sauce ***WORLD EXCLUSIVE*** with pics

Jonny69 · 10-05-2007, 16:17

Don't get your hopes up too high about these pics just yet. Firstly I'm no photographer and secondly they are from my camera phone so they are pretty shonky. Squint a bit and they should look fine but I've already been warned it don't look too good...

Today folks we're going to cook a real tomato pasta sauce just like they do back home. It's so so simple to make, REALLY cheap and ultra versatile. This forms the base for pretty much every tomato pasta sauce from seafood, bolognese and pizza topping. There are just two ingredients:

Tinned tomatoes x2
Garlic x4

This will make about 4 portions, make plenty and stick it in the freezer.

Chop up about 4-5 cloves of garlic really fine and get them frying really lightly in some olive oil. The garlic is the key here and you need plenty:

In the meantime open two tins of tomatoes (note my miniature saucepan lid in the background):

Now I find the cheaper the tomatoes the better because they have plenty of tomato juice in them and they seem to cook down more satisfactorily and make a smoother sauce. With the more expensive ones I end up adding water so they can bubble down without burning. You can also use fresh tomatoes but you will need to remove the skins and take the cores out, plus it works out quite expensive with the price of fresh tommys in this country. After the garlic starts to go opaque chuck in the toms:

Season with salt and pepper. Now a lot of people don't know this, table salt is about 50% anti-caking agent which is a flavourless sodium-based substance to make it sit in those little balls and run out your salt shaker. So only half of what you put in your food is actual salt and you use twice as much as you need to make it just as salty. Because the anti-caking agent is sodium based your sodium intake is rammed up really high by using table salt. If you use rock salt it is pure salt so you don't need anywhere near as much. Use about this much if your hands are the same size as mine:

Now out with the pepper grinder and get plenty of pepper in there:

My pepper grinder is a hollow baseball bat and I have to stand right in the middle of the kitchen to be able to get it in the pan. Grind in about this much:

Give it a stir and bring it to the boil. Now pop on a lid, drop the flame right down and let it simmer for at least 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every now and then. This is a good time to pop a bottle of red wine and go sit down and relax. The sauce should reduce by about 1/3 and the colour will deepen, the flavour will really change as the sugars in the tomatoes cook out and it should become quite smooth so there's no need to blitz it. Now it's pretty much ready to serve. Cook some pasta and ladle it on top in a big bowl!

I did two variations, the veggie option:

Pasta in the middle, nice bitter rocket round the edge, sauce on top, broke up some hard strong cheese and shaved some parmesan using a potato peeler. This is what I did for me for the non-veggie option:

Same as the veggie option except I used smoked salmon trimmings (cheap) sprinkled over the top instead of the cheese.

You'll be wanting to know how to do bolognese. I fry off a pack of mince in a frying pan and drop it in once I've got the tomato sauce going and boil it down for the same time and it's as simple as that, nothing else. Seafood works perfectly, pop it in a few minutes before the end and you'll get a lovely seaside taste in the tomato. Also as I mentioned it makes a perfect pizza topping.

And enjoy.

Jonny69 · 10-05-2007, 16:20

Oh yeah and don't chuck the cans away.

Save up 8 and I'll show you how to recycle them into a tennis ball cannon

Heh, you think I'm joking...

Haly · 10-05-2007, 16:20

Sainsbury's Basic chopped tomatoes rock

Nice looking sauce, bit more complicated than how I do it (Possibly because I just bung the tin of chopped tomatoes into the pasta

) but still looks nice

Mondo · 10-05-2007, 16:23

All salad and no beef?

You are making me hungry Jonny !

Will · 10-05-2007, 16:41

I concur about the rock salt, or alternatively use sea salt. And mucho love the for the garlic too! Adding some shallots or onions work well too...

Jen, that's not complicated!

I'm so glad you're an adventurous cook Jonny we should do some cooking together - I reckon we'd make a good team!

I'd have added some herbes de provence as I quite like their flavours, but some basil works well too. Oh and rocket ROCKS!

Can I have some - I'm hungry.... then again I need to save myself for curry tonight!

Haly · 10-05-2007, 16:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Le Hoff

Jen, that's not complicated!

I didn't say it was complicated

I said it was more complicated than tipping a tin of chopped tomatoes into a saucepan of pasta which it is because it involves more than just tipping!

semi-pro waster · 10-05-2007, 16:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonny69

Save up 8 and I'll show you how to recycle them into a tennis ball cannon

Heh, you think I'm joking...

I'm not too bothered about the food but I'm interested in this, not quite jet engine dangerous but I figure I'd better start fairly small.

Will · 10-05-2007, 16:51

heheh

3 Most important ingredients for me are, salt, garlic and spices - can't cook anything without any of those... pepper just gets in as 4th but can be considered under the "spice" category.

Haly · 10-05-2007, 16:54

I never use salt, but I think my vital things for stuff like that is chilli powder, garlic powder (Yeah I know it's not as good as fresh garlic but it's a hell of a lot cheaper and lasts longer), peper and mixed herbs.

Absolutely everything has one or more of the 4

Will · 10-05-2007, 16:57

I love salt - it really helps draw out flavours - obviously a lot of people over do it, but for me it's an important ingredient

You obviously don't need as much if you add other spices etc... but I love it anyway - I blame the Med lifestyle

10-05-2007, 16:17	#1
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Cooking with Jonny69: Real pasta sauce WORLD EXCLUSIVE with pics Don't get your hopes up too high about these pics just yet. Firstly I'm no photographer and secondly they are from my camera phone so they are pretty shonky. Squint a bit and they should look fine but I've already been warned it don't look too good... Today folks we're going to cook a real tomato pasta sauce just like they do back home. It's so so simple to make, REALLY cheap and ultra versatile. This forms the base for pretty much every tomato pasta sauce from seafood, bolognese and pizza topping. There are just two ingredients: Tinned tomatoes x2 Garlic x4 This will make about 4 portions, make plenty and stick it in the freezer. Chop up about 4-5 cloves of garlic really fine and get them frying really lightly in some olive oil. The garlic is the key here and you need plenty: In the meantime open two tins of tomatoes (note my miniature saucepan lid in the background): Now I find the cheaper the tomatoes the better because they have plenty of tomato juice in them and they seem to cook down more satisfactorily and make a smoother sauce. With the more expensive ones I end up adding water so they can bubble down without burning. You can also use fresh tomatoes but you will need to remove the skins and take the cores out, plus it works out quite expensive with the price of fresh tommys in this country. After the garlic starts to go opaque chuck in the toms: Season with salt and pepper. Now a lot of people don't know this, table salt is about 50% anti-caking agent which is a flavourless sodium-based substance to make it sit in those little balls and run out your salt shaker. So only half of what you put in your food is actual salt and you use twice as much as you need to make it just as salty. Because the anti-caking agent is sodium based your sodium intake is rammed up really high by using table salt. If you use rock salt it is pure salt so you don't need anywhere near as much. Use about this much if your hands are the same size as mine: Now out with the pepper grinder and get plenty of pepper in there: My pepper grinder is a hollow baseball bat and I have to stand right in the middle of the kitchen to be able to get it in the pan. Grind in about this much: Give it a stir and bring it to the boil. Now pop on a lid, drop the flame right down and let it simmer for at least 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every now and then. This is a good time to pop a bottle of red wine and go sit down and relax. The sauce should reduce by about 1/3 and the colour will deepen, the flavour will really change as the sugars in the tomatoes cook out and it should become quite smooth so there's no need to blitz it. Now it's pretty much ready to serve. Cook some pasta and ladle it on top in a big bowl! I did two variations, the veggie option: Pasta in the middle, nice bitter rocket round the edge, sauce on top, broke up some hard strong cheese and shaved some parmesan using a potato peeler. This is what I did for me for the non-veggie option: Same as the veggie option except I used smoked salmon trimmings (cheap) sprinkled over the top instead of the cheese. You'll be wanting to know how to do bolognese. I fry off a pack of mince in a frying pan and drop it in once I've got the tomato sauce going and boil it down for the same time and it's as simple as that, nothing else. Seafood works perfectly, pop it in a few minutes before the end and you'll get a lovely seaside taste in the tomato. Also as I mentioned it makes a perfect pizza topping. And enjoy. __________________ Last edited by Jonny69; 10-05-2007 at 20:27.

10-05-2007, 16:20	#2
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Oh yeah and don't chuck the cans away. Save up 8 and I'll show you how to recycle them into a tennis ball cannon Heh, you think I'm joking... __________________

10-05-2007, 16:20	#3
Haly Do you want to hide in my box? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 14,941	Sainsbury's Basic chopped tomatoes rock Nice looking sauce, bit more complicated than how I do it (Possibly because I just bung the tin of chopped tomatoes into the pasta ) but still looks nice __________________ Halycopter

10-05-2007, 16:23	#4
Mondo Absinthe Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 2,174	All salad and no beef? You are making me hungry Jonny ! __________________ My Website / MSN / Email / Flickr / Blog

10-05-2007, 16:41	#5
Will BBx woz 'ere :P Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 2,147,487,208	I concur about the rock salt, or alternatively use sea salt. And mucho love the for the garlic too! Adding some shallots or onions work well too... Jen, that's not complicated! I'm so glad you're an adventurous cook Jonny we should do some cooking together - I reckon we'd make a good team! I'd have added some herbes de provence as I quite like their flavours, but some basil works well too. Oh and rocket ROCKS! Can I have some - I'm hungry.... then again I need to save myself for curry tonight! __________________ *No No!*

10-05-2007, 16:51	#8
Will BBx woz 'ere :P Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 2,147,487,208	heheh 3 Most important ingredients for me are, salt, garlic and spices - can't cook anything without any of those... pepper just gets in as 4th but can be considered under the "spice" category. __________________ *No No!*

10-05-2007, 16:54	#9
Haly Do you want to hide in my box? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 14,941	I never use salt, but I think my vital things for stuff like that is chilli powder, garlic powder (Yeah I know it's not as good as fresh garlic but it's a hell of a lot cheaper and lasts longer), peper and mixed herbs. Absolutely everything has one or more of the 4 __________________ Halycopter

10-05-2007, 16:57	#10
Will BBx woz 'ere :P Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 2,147,487,208	I love salt - it really helps draw out flavours - obviously a lot of people over do it, but for me it's an important ingredient You obviously don't need as much if you add other spices etc... but I love it anyway - I blame the Med lifestyle __________________ *No No!*