José Andrés's Tomato Sauce

by Yair Reiner

Serves 2 for dinner over pasta
Total time: 1 1/4 hour

You'll need:
  • A medium-sized saucier 
  • A Frywall that fits the pan (see our sizing guide)
  • 1 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes, roughly chopped, juice drained and conserved
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
  • salt to taste
  • sugar to taste
  • 1 tsp pimentón or smoked paprika
Add the oil to the pan, turn the heat to medium high, place the Frywall into position, toss in the garlic cloves. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the cloves turn a pale yellow. Remove the cloves and discard, but keep the heat turned on.

Add the drained and chopped tomatoes to the hot oil and let them fry undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, so they begin to caramelize and develop a rich dark color. Give the tomatoes a stir and repeat the process a few more times, until all sides of the tomatoes get nicely seared by the hot oil. Now crush the tomatoes with the back of a spoon or a potato smasher.

Turn down the heat and add 1/4 cup of the reserved tomato juice. It's time to cook the sauce low and slow for 1 hour. Check in every 10 minutes or so to give the pot a stir and add more juice if the pan looks dry. Halfway through the cook, adjust the seasoning. It will usually need about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and sugar, but this will vary depending on the tomatoes. The sauce should be very slightly sweet, like a good tomato, but not sugary. When the cooking is done, add the pimenton and give a final stir. 

Serve over pasta or white beans, or with cooked summer vegetables like zucchini, green beans, or eggplant. It will also keep for several days in the fridge.

Adapted from Vegetables Unleashed by José Andrés and Matt Goulding.

 

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