Quick Tomato Sauce (p. 562)

I was tired of cooking but figured that it would be a good idea to whip something up before Survivor and Supernatural started (I know, I love TV way too much...) and pasta sounded like a great idea. Now as many of you know, I am 50% Italian and my mom makes delicious (and speedy!) sauces so I wasn't optimistic on how the Quick Tomato Sauce (p. 562) was going to turn out. I haven't been spectacularly impressed my TJOC's sauce recipes so far.

The recipe starts out easy enough...cook an onion in some olive oil until softened.







The recipe then calls for a 28-oz can of whole tomatoes with their juice...which I totally didn't have on hand. I figured that a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes and a 14 oz can of whole tomatoes was close enough. Tomato paste, a mixture of dried herbs, some sugar, and salt were added. I started to worry...I really hate sweet tomato sauce. I also tend to like at least some sort of meat essence...but I went with the flow of the recipe.




The sauce is then cooked for about twenty minutes and pureed (I used my immersion blender, the most awesome kitchen appliance in the world). I transferred bowls because I baby my Teflon--I didn't want metal blades coming anywhere near it.





How was it? Eh. Pretty good but too sweet (as I suspected it was going to be). Some sausage and no sugar may solve the problems...but my mom's quick sauce is way better :)


I am proud to say that this journey (through TJOC) IS helping my cooking skills. I've made several delicious meals recently that I've adapted from TJOC--how exciting! Most have been potato based, I'll totally admit :)