After we harvested the last of our ripe tomatoes before the first freeze hit, I decided to grab a bunch of the green tomatoes and hope for the best. These languished on the countertop for a couple of weeks as they slowly ripened. Yesterday I decided I better do something with the ones that finally ripened. Older tomatoes like this need to be cooked down, so slow-roasting them all day seemed the perfect way to spend my Sunday while binge-watching Chopped episodes. And it made the house smell divine!
While I used fresh tomatoes for half this recipe (I blanched and peeled them first), by all means use all canned tomatoes, and preferably San Marzano. Mine were fire-roasted but plain works equally as well. I had to add some additional water during the cooking since I didn’t have the canned juice to go with fresh tomatoes.
This recipe is halved, but by all means double it, as this tomato gravy can go with a multitude of dishes beyond pasta. We served it over rice with garlicky sauteed shrimp. I plan on poaching some eggs in the leftover sauce for a future meal. So rich and incredibly tasty!!
Lazy Sunday Italian Tomato Gravy
Adapted from Serious Eats/J. Kenji López-Alt
2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
8 baby carrots
1/2 medium onion, halved
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Lower rack in oven to bottom position and preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a large bowl, crush the tomatoes thoroughly with your hands. Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the crushed tomatoes to a container and refrigerate until later.
Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a Dutch oven until butter is melted. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, and basil, and cook for about two minutes until garlic is fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes, carrots and onion until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and place in preheated oven. Walk away and enjoy your day, coming back to stir about every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add a little water if needed throughout. The sauce should reduce by about half and darkened to a deep red, about 5 to 6 hours.
Remove from oven, then discard onion quarters and carrots. Add the reserved tomatoes and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Serve immediately over pasta, rice or any which way you want. Leftovers can be refrigerated up to a week or frozen. Reheat from frozen with 1/2 cup water.
p.s. Austin Street Taco followers: I’ve closed my cart down now for the winter, but had a meeting today about a possible and exciting future venue next year! Stay tuned!
Stay warm as from what you wrote it sounds very cold where you are located! Great recipe! With the push cart closed, it affects your sales. I hope an indoor venue comes up for you to continue sales in winter.😊
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Thank you so much Garfield! Yes, winter is pretty much here now, it snow yesterday!
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Times flies 😉
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I love how you’ve reduced the sauce slowly in the oven. It brings out so much flavor. Beautiful. 🙂
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Thank you so much Ronit. The depth of flavor was amazing. 🙂
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so you’re one of those peeps who call is gravy? 🙂 Is it the same as “sauce?” Looks and sounds DIVINE!!! I’ve never heard of poaching eggs over it or serving over rice. Such wonderful ideas!!!
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Thank you Jodi! I’m from Texas, it’s all gravy, lol! 😀
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Lol
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Great idea to poach some eggs later in the week! Winter came so fast. Are you moving indoors?
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No for this winter I am shut down except for a few winter concerts maybe. I have a seasonal winter job lined up in the meantime. And thank you! I can’t wait to have the eggs in that luscious sauce!
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Good Luck with new venture possibly coming up for you soon! I feel as though you first season overall went well your season with the cart! Lovely Sauce (gravy) LOL xoxoxox ccc
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Aww sweetie, thanks so much! Yes, for my first venture into this new business, I’m very happy the way it went! I’m hoping for bigger and better things next season! xoxoxo
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xoxoxo ccc
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I’m so glad that your food cart has been a success and that you have exciting opportunities ahead 😄😄😄
I’m loving the sauce, definitely one to pin!
xx
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Thank you so much Elaine! And coming from the queen of sauces, I am flattered! 🙂
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Oh no, you are far too kind!
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Good luck with the exciting venue, Kathryn! Hope it works out for you.
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Thank you Stefan, this one might prove to be much more successful. 🙂
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That looks great – I often cook up fresh tomatoes and freeze them if I have too many. I’ve only ever fried the green ones, but my farmer still has tomatoes and there will probably be some less ripe ones this week or next for me to try like this.
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Thanks Mad Dog, but I used the OVER-ripe tomatoes for this. I just ended up tossing the green ones that didn’t look like they were ever going to ripen.
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It looks incredible!
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Thank you Josette, it’s dreamy good!
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Yummy 🙂
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Why thank you!
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Nothing says Sunday afternoon like the smell of “gravy”. Yummy recipe.
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Ahhh yes, you “get it” Bernadette. Thanks you!
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Sounds so yummy
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Thank you my dear! xo
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Xx
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That looks soooo flavorful, Kathryn. There’s nothing quite like homemade tomato sauce…gravy with garden tomatoes. 😀
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Exactly! Thanks Diana! xo
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This looks good and sounds delicious.
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You must try, it… SOOO good! Thanks!
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Oh wow… I can imagine the aroma. Your house must have smelled like heaven! This is such a useful idea too. Another lovely post, Kathryn. Hugs!
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Thanks so much Teagan! I do love all-day cooking sometimes just for the smell alone! xoxo
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Delicious! Although I have never had a big enough yield of tomatoes to be able to make sauce! I will certainly by a batch.
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Any San Marzano canned variety will work beautifully too! Thank you!
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Fairly easy to make, full of flavour – just what a tomato sauce should be..
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Yes, it’s quite easy to make, and so rich. Thank you!
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Excellent recipe!! i’ve never thought to oven roast a tomato sauce like that! The smell in the house must have been heavenly and I bet they took on that sweetish caramelized goodness that roasting gives.Love it KR!!
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Thanks Mollie, do give it a go if you can tear yourself away from your Instant Pot, lol! 😉
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It’s on my list – along with like 1000 of your other recipes!!!
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Same as yours! And did I ever tell you that a slightly modified version of your chicken tinga is on my taco cart menu??? For real! It’s a winner!
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Oh, I’m almost famous, haha!@@ 🙂 That’s so cool – I’m glad you liked it!
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