Meat laden ‘gravies’ and I have had a long run. I love how they fill the house with the scents of browned meat and tomatoes, and they’re great for large crowds. But they aren’t great for my heart, and all the stirring can become a chore. Occasionally I’ll get sucked into some other side task and forget, and the next time my wooden spoon drags across the bottom of my dutch oven I can feel the scorched tomato blanket that covers the bottom.
It’s not the end of the world, and the sauce can be saved, but it’s still a letdown, and one I’ve never revisited since reading the French Laundry. The Staff meal section details a vegetarian lasagna that’s supposedly a staff favorite, and a tip in the instruction has made me return to this recipe at least 20 times. After I have all the tomatoes incorporated, I ditch the stove top, and cook the sauce in the oven. It takes longer, but I don’t have to stir it once. A few hours later when I pop the lid I find a perfectly reduced, thick, hearty, tomato ragout. I don’t even miss this meat.
Red Sauce
Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
½ cup olive oil
1 ½ cups yellow onion, minced
3 tablespoons minced garlic
¼ cup tomato paste
3 28 ounce cans tomatoes, seeds removed, sauce reserved
Heaping teaspoon Oregano
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy pan (I use a 5.5 quart Le Creuset dutch oven). Add the onions, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes till translucent. Add the tomato paste and cook stirring almost constantly for ten minutes until the olive oil separates from the tomato paste and onions. Add the tomatoes and reserved sauce and bring to a simmer. Add oregano, rubbing the herb with your thumb in your palm to help release the flavor.
Cover and place in the oven for 3 to 4 hours. The sauce is done when it is darkened, well reduced, thick and chunky.
