Tomato Sauce is one of the five mother sauces on Carême and Escoffier’s list. It is regularly used to top pizzas, mix them into pasta, and generate many other sauces.
Although most professional cooks have had to adapt the recipes to guests’ demands and tastes to accommodate vegans, gluten-free diets, and people with allergies, many French and Italian recipes remain in their traditions.
The whole idea is to earn the flavor. No one gives it to you.
-Jamie Oliver – British chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author
Learn how to make a classic French tomato sauce recipe, and find out which sauces are derived from it.
Jump To Section
- Tomato Sauce: The Origin
- Which Tomato Makes A Good Sauce? San Marzano or Roma Tomatoes?
- 9 Essential Tips To Prepare A Perfect Tomato Sauce
- Dishes You Can Make With Tomato Sauce
- Tomato Sauce And Its Derivative Sauces
- How To Make A Traditional French Tomato Sauce
Tomato Sauce: The Origin
Before preparing a tasty sauce, we need to know the tomatoes’ origin for then begin the long journey until the sauce.
Native to South America, the tomato species we eat today, Solanum Lycopersicum, was grown by the Aztecs in Central Mexico, who called it “xitomatl” (zee-toe-má-tel), which means “plump thing with a navel.”
Evidence suggests that Hernán Cortés (1485-1547), a Spanish explorer, discovered the tomato, while others think Christopher Columbus was the first to bring it to Europe in 1493.
However, an Italian botanist Pietro Andrea Mattioli, wrote about the tomato in 1544, calling it “pomo d’oro,” which translates to “golden apple.”
Until the middle of the 16th, tomatoes were not grown in Europe because they were considered unsafe for consumption then, as people believed that it was poisonous due to a botanical connection with a deadly plant, the Belladonna.
Later, after the fear was demystified, consumer attention was attracted as Carême designated tomato sauce as one of the five mother sauces.
Today, tomatoes are widely present in Italian, Middle Eastern, North, and South American cuisines.
Which Tomato Makes A Good Sauce? San Marzano or Roma Tomatoes?
There are more than 7,500 varieties of tomatoes grown worldwide, with tremendous diversity in size, shape, color, and texture for diverse purposes.
Tomatoes properly suited for sauce are firm in texture, thick, with some seeds, and render the richest, silky, and intensely flavorful sauces.
Within this pattern, two varieties stand out for making an excellent sauce: Roma and San Marzano.
- Roma: Also known as the Italian and plum tomato, is red, small, oblong, and much fleshier than other species. It was developed for canning and sauce since round and big ones have many seeds, best used in cold preparations and salads.
- San Marzano: Originally from San Marzano Sul Sarno, Italy, they are thinner and longer and have a more robust, sweeter flavor than the Roma.
Whether you choose San Marzano or Roma tomatoes for your sauce, prefer to consume them fresh because they are tasty and juicy when at the height of the season, which is in the summer.
9 Essential Tips To Prepare A Perfect Tomato Sauce
Recipes change from region to region. While some call for veal, pork belly, chicken, or beef stock, others are prepared exclusively with tomatoes and vegetables cooked for minutes.
Whatever the recipe you follow, there will always be different ways to make a perfect sauce.
However, like other sauces, some basic rules cannot be ignored. Take a look at the 8 tips below to improve your skills when preparing yours.
Mise en Place
Mise en place is a French culinary term that means “to put everything in place.” In practice, it is an essential step before preparing any recipe; you will organize the kitchen utensils and portion the ingredients in advance, avoiding mess and mistakes at the time of preparation. Therefore, get everything organized and portioned before starting the preparation of the Tomato sauce
Sugar
Sugar is necessary to neutralize the tomato’s acidity, but it can quickly burn when the pot is over direct heat. To avoid that, cook over medium-low heat in a stainless steel pan with a double bottom.
Tomatoes
Roma and San Marzano varieties are the most recommended for preparing a sauce. Preferably, use them during the summer season, when they are juicy and plump.
Mirepoix
Sweating the mirepoix well will help to incorporate it into the rest of the ingredients. Use the traditional mirepoix ratio, being 2:1:1, two parts onion, one part carrot, and one part celery.
Roux
Some recipes call for thickening agents. Although many thickeners are available, tomato sauce requires a white roux, as the purpose is to thicken the sauce and not add color like a brown roux.
Singer
The singer is a French term that means sprinkling flour over ingredients that have been cooked in fat. When combined with the fat, we essentially form a roux (fat + flour). The roux is then cooked for a few minutes before adding a liquid. The liquid should be brought to a simmer so that the roux can thicken it, cook, and soften the flavor of the raw flour.
Écumer
Écumer is a French term that means to remove foam or impurities from the surface of the boiling liquid with the help of a ladle or spoon. As a result, your sauce will be free of impurities, with a light flavor and smooth texture.
Final adjustments
Make the necessary adjustments by seasoning the sauce at the end of the cooking process. Otherwise, it’ll overpower the sauce taste, hiding the tomato flavor.
Appearance and Flavor
A high-quality sauce has a lively appearance with a concentrated tomato flavor, without bitterness, excess acidity, or sweetness. Still, all in perfect harmony, making the ingredients present subtly on the palate.
Dishes You Can Make With Tomato Sauce
They can combine and enrich a magnitude of dishes, such as homemade pizza doughs, al dente pasta, meats, and seafood.
- Lobster In A White Wine With Tarragon
- Penne Arrabbiata
- Seafood Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce
- Portuguese Pizza
- Parisienne Gnocchi
- Arancini
- Mussels in San Marzano Sauce
Tomato Sauce And Its Derivative Sauces
Tomato sauce is not difficult to pair with foods. It is a versatile sauce, simple to prepare with a unique flavor and texture. Its derivative sauces play the same role, enriching a range of dishes from different nationalities. Discover 8 types of sauces from tomato sauce.
How To Make A Traditional French Tomato Sauce
There are different styles of tomato sauces in every kitchen. What differentiates a French tomato sauce from the classic Italian one is the pork fat, veal stock, and roux as a thickening agent that traditional French chefs use.
A basic Italian tomato sauce is made with olive oil, tomatoes, vegetables, and herbs. However, traditional Italian recipes can change from region to region.
Learn now how to make a traditional French tomato sauce.
Now, get to work! 😋
Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- Chef Knife
- Peeler
- Sieve
- Large Pot
- Medium pot
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3 kg Roma Tomatoes
- 100 g Onions diced
- 50 g Carrots diced
- 50 g Celery diced
- 5 pcs Garlic clove minced
- 1 pc Bouquet garni
- 75 g Pork belly diced – save the rind
- 75 g Flour
- 30 g Tomato paste
- 1 liter Chicken stock
- Salt to taste
- Sugar to taste
Instructions
Mise en place
- Preheat the oven 350ºF
- Bouquet garni: Parsley stalks, 1 bay leaf, 1 celery stalk, wrapped in a green leek leaf, tied with culinary string.
- Prepare mirepoix by cutting the onion, carrot and celery into medium dices – 0,8 inches/2cm.
Preparing Sauce
- In a large pot, cook the pork belly over low heat until the fat has melted.
- Add the minced garlic, mirepoix and cook over medium heat, until soft and golden, 5 minutes.
- Add the flour (singer) and cook for 3 minutes. In this step, you will make an roux using a previously added pork fat.
- Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook, 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, salt and sugar, mixing well. Remember, the sugar is to soften the acidity of the tomatoes and not to sweeten the sauce, which should have a balanced taste, neither acidic nor sweet.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouquet garni, pork belly rind, bring to a boil, cover with lid, and transfer to the oven. Simmer for 2 hours.
- Remove from the oven and discard the rind and bouquet garni. Let cool slightly, and purée in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Strain through a sieve.
- Use immediately, keep in the fridge for 5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes
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