Ingredients
Sauce made with fresh tomatoes
One quarter of an onion
A clove of garlic
A piece of celery
A few bay leaves
Parsley
A little oil
Salt and pepper
Seven or eight tomatoes
Sauce made with tomato puree
One onion
One carrot
A celery stalk
Bunch of parsley and other aromatic greens
A piece of butter
A reasonable portion of tomato paste
Optional
Mushrooms
Directions
"Chop together, fine, one quarter of an onion, a clove of garlic, a piece of celery as long as your finger, a few bay leaves and just enough parsley. Season with a little oil, salt and pepper, cut up seven or eight tomatoes and put everything over the fire together. Stir it from time to time and when you see the juice condensing into a thin custard strain through a sieve, and it is ready for use.
When fresh tomatoes are not available the tomato paste may be used. This is a concentrated paste made from tomatoes and spices which is to be had, at all Italian grocers, now so numerous in all American cities. Thinned with water, it is a much used ingredient in Italian recipes. Catchup and concentrated tomato soup do not make satisfactory substitutes as they are too sweet in flavor. Of course canned tomatoes seasoned with salt and a bit of bay leaf, can always be used instead of fresh tomatoes.
This sauce serves many purposes. It is good on boiled meat; excellent to dress macaroni, spaghetti or other pastas which have been seasoned with butter and cheese, or on boiled rice seasoned in the same way. Mushrooms are a fine addition to it.
When using concentrated paste the following recipes will found to give good results:
Chop one onion, one carrot and a celery stalk: form a little bunch of parsley and other aromatic greens and put everything to brown in a saucepan together with a piece of butter. Add a reasonable portion of tomato paste while cooking, stir and keep on a low fire until the sauce assumes the necessary consistency."
Notes
This recipe was taken from "The Italian Cook Book: the Art of Eating Well, Practical Recipes of the Italian Cuisine" by Mrs. Maria Gentile. It was published in the U.S. in 1919. For the entire copyright-free cookbook see www.archive.org.... Photo: Mary Melfi. |
