From the Cook
From the Cook
From the Cook
From the Cook
From the Cook
From the Cook
1/7
Instructions
1
Peel the shallots, garlic, and carrots, wash the celery, and dice everything finely. Empty the canned tomatoes into a large bowl and crush them with your hands to create a chunky but smooth tomato sauce.
2
Heat oil in a pot, add the vegetables, and sauté with a pinch of salt over medium-high heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Once the shallots are translucent, add the sugar and tomato paste and sauté for another two to three minutes, stirring constantly.
3
Reduce the heat and deglaze the pot first with the vegetable broth, then add the tomatoes and simmer gently over medium heat for at least 30 minutes, or better yet for 60 to 90 minutes.
4
Season the tomato sauce with balsamic vinegar, dried herbs, salt and pepper before serving.
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Tips & Tricks (5)
- Build Your Soffritto Base 🧅Cook your diced celery, carrot, garlic, and shallots slowly over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until deeply caramelized and fragrant—this creates the foundational flavor that makes your sauce taste authentically Italian and complex.
- Crush Tomatoes by Hand 🍅Break canned tomatoes apart with your hands rather than a blender to maintain a rustic, chunky texture that creates better mouthfeel and prevents the sauce from becoming too dense or paste-like.
- Bloom Your Tomato Paste 🎨Stir tomato paste directly into the hot soffritto for 2-3 minutes before adding tomatoes to deeply caramelize it, which intensifies umami flavors and prevents a raw, metallic taste in your final sauce.
- Balance Acid with Precision ⚖️Add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar separately and taste as you go—the vinegar should round out acidity while the sugar enhances natural tomato sweetness, but both should remain subtle background notes, never dominant.
- Low and Slow Simmer Strategy 🕐Simmer your sauce uncovered on low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, to concentrate flavors and allow water to evaporate naturally—this develops depth that rushed cooking cannot achieve, even with high heat.
Recipe Facts
Diet at a Glance
Vegetarian
Vegan
Low-Cholesterol
My Calorie Intake
Smart Nutrition 
Nutrition Per Serving
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Glycemic Analysis
Glycemic Index
Glycemic Load
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