Flaherty Wines

Sean really likes pizza. I  make pizza so often I’m tired of it, but still, it isn’t often enough for Sean. So he recently decided that he needs to learn how to make it himself, so he can have it whenever he likes. We started with the sauce.

This sauce is one of the basics in my kitchen. I always have some jars of it in the freezer, as it serves as the base for not only pizza, but also lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, rigatoni with sausage, polenta, and so on. It’s very versatile.

Tomato sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions. chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon tomato concentrate
1/2 cup red wine
2 k (4 lb) canned tomatoes (net weight), with juice
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions and sauté until soft, without browning. Add the garlic and cook briefly before adding in the tomato concentrate and red wine. Simmer the wine briefly to cook off the alcohol, then pour in the tomatoes whole. Use your hands to crush the tomatoes right in the pot (this is much easier and neater than trying to chop them on a cutting board). Add the fresh herbs, and season with salt and pepper. (I use a light hand on the salt, since I use the sauce as a base for other dishes, many of which contain cheese or sausage or other salty ingredients.) Bring to a low boil and simmer for about 45 minutes. Allow the sauce to cool, then purée in a blender.