Summertime tomato sauce: Adding fresh varieties can bring out the aroma of the sun

GOHAN LAB/ Summertime tomato sauce: Adding fresh varieties can bring out the aroma of the sun
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13060826
By NASUKA YAMAMOTO/ Staff Writer

July 24, 2019 at 07:00 JST

Summertime tomato sauce (Photo by Masahiro Gohda)

Editor’s note: The theme of Gohan Lab is to help people make simple, tasty “gohan” (meals).

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Although tomatoes are available throughout the year, the ones harvested in summer are notches above in terms of flavor. Adding fresh tomatoes to canned ones can create a seasonal tomato sauce that seems to capture the aroma of the sun.

The sound, color and smell provide pointers in making a tasty sauce.

When garlic is warmed slowly and the aroma rises, you should start sauteeing the onion. If the sizzling stops, you know the onion has lost the water content. Since the onion starts to color around that time, add some fresh tomatoes. When the tomato starts “sweating,” add the canned tomato.

Watch closely while reducing the sauce and make sure to mix occasionally so the edge does not boil down.

The pasta and sauce mix nicely if the amount is one to one. You can also easily make just one portion on a stove. The sauce goes well on an omelet, too.

BASIC COOKING METHOD

(Supervised by Kuniaki Arima in the cooking aspect and Midori Kasai in the cookery science aspect)

* Ingredients and cooking utensils (Serves one)

100 grams pasta, 1 small (about 70 grams) tomato, 100 grams canned tomato (whole type), 1/6 (about 25 grams) onion, 1/4 clove garlic, bit of dried chili pepper, salt, olive oil, some Italian parsley (or regular parsley)

1. Remove calyx from tomato and cut in four. Thinly slice onion along fiber. Crush garlic with flat side of kitchen knife or bottom of jar.

2. Add 1/2 tsp olive oil and garlic to frying pan, turn on stove and keep at very low heat. Tilt pan so garlic becomes immersed in oil (Photo A). Turn sides when savory aroma rises. Put pan horizontally, add onion and turn up heat a little. Sautee slowly while mixing occasionally.

3. When sizzling sound fades and onion colors, add fresh tomato and turn down heat. When juice seeps from the tomato skin, add canned tomato. Squash fresh tomato (Photo B). Add a pinch of salt and dried chili pepper (about 1/4 of a pod). Simmer 3 to 5 minutes. When edge starts to boil down, scrape and mix in the center and continue reducing tomato sauce.

4. Boil pasta in saltwater with salinity of 1 percent. Mix with tomato sauce (Photo C). Add parsley torn by hand and 1/2 tsp olive oil and mix. Sprinkle grated cheese if desired.