There’s probably not a household in Italy where this sauce does not appear on the table at least once a week. There also is probably not a single household where the home cook bothers to measure the ingredients; and you shouldn’t either. The quantities below are only a guideline. Just chop up equal amounts of onion, carrot, and celery to measure about 1 cup total and lightly sauté them in the oil. The choice of tomatoes is, on the other hand, essential to a successful outcome. Choose high quality, preferably imported, canned or boxed tomatoes that contain no other ingredients – no salt, no citric acid, no seasonings. My preferred brand is Pomì.
Classic Italian Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup carrot, finely chopped
1/3 cup celery, finely chopped
2 cups strained or chopped Imported tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Preparation
Set Sun Oven out to preheat.
Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté briefly. Add the carrot and celery and sauté for about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, and sugar. Cover and transfer to the Sun Oven. Cook until the flavors have blended and the oil has separated from the sauce, about 1 hour. Serve over pasta.
