So, we’re hardcore into tomato season – they’re piling up on kitchen counters, break room tables, & your doorstep, thanks to midnight tomato drop-offs from your neighbors who are desperate to rid themselves of TMT syndrome – too many tomatoes.
There’s nothing like a real, honest-to-goodness perfectly ripe tomato. Such amazing flavor shames nearly every other salad ingredient, but the truth is, you can only eat so many slices covered in balsamic vinegar & basil. I’m not one to indulge in the insanity that is creating homemade canned tomato sauce (any child who’s been conned into cranking the tomato juicer-machine-thing knows EXACTLY what I’m talking about), but fresh tomato sauce is an indulgence I’m happy to dip into. All you need are a few ingredients & of course, a bunch of tomatoes!
Easy Tomato Sauce
What you’ll need:
tomatoes (the number is completely up to you, although I’d suggest 2-3 per person you’ll be serving)
balsamic vinegar
fresh herbs and/or Italian dressing (dried herbs will work in a pinch)
cookie sheet
parchment or aluminum foil
How to do it:
01 Pre-heat your oven to about 400°
02 Cover your cookie sheet in foil or parchment; your choice
03 Slice tomatoes in half; place on cookie sheet with seeds facing up
04 Poke herbs (rosemary, cilantro, sage, tarragon – you get the idea) into flesh of tomato (that sounds so gory!) – if you’re using dried herbs, just sprinkle them on
05 If desired, drizzle a bit (maybe one swipe per tomato half) of Italian dressing on top
06 Generously fill (it’ll splash over; perfectly okay!) & coat the tomatoes with balsamic vinegar
07 Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the skins are nice & tender – they should fall apart when pierced with a fork
08 When it’s done, pour everything into a pot. Mix it up!
09 Serve over pasta of your choice! Mix in a bit of mozzarella & fresh basil for a real treat. Enjoy!
PS: I picked up 2 new cookbooks over the weekend – once I get into playing, I’ll be sure to share my favorites & how I’ve modified them! :)
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