Barley Free Pomarola Fresh Tomato Sauce
This is Italian cooking at its most honest — ripe plum tomatoes, a handful of aromatics, good olive oil, and fresh basil slowly coaxed into something deeply flavorful and silky smooth. The soffritto base of onion, carrot, and celery builds a quiet sweetness that makes the finished sauce taste like it came from a nonna's kitchen rather than a jar. Passing everything through a food mill is the move that separates this from a rustic chunky sauce — you get that restaurant-quality texture without any cream or thickeners. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of grain-based additives, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or worry about hidden fillers the way you might with store-bought versions. The whole process is straightforward and mostly hands-off once the pot is simmering, making it a genuinely relaxing cook. Make a big batch and freeze it in portions — this sauce is endlessly useful over pasta, spooned onto pizza dough, or stirred into a braise.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 3 lbs ripe plum tomatoes (about 10–12), roughly chopped
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 8 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- 1
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion is translucent, about 8–10 minutes.
- 2
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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