The tangy tomato sauce, or the pomodoro sauce, is light and a quintessential Italian favourite. Pomodoro is an Italian term for tomato which translates to “golden apple” referring to tomatoes which are golden yellow in colour, with an apple-like shape. Since tomatoes are such an integral part of Italian cooking, pomodoro or pomodori is a common term used in reference to food dishes with tomatoes.
Pomodoro sauce may have many variations according to the recipe for a particular dish but the basic traditional pomodoro sauce is prepared with ripened fresh tomatoes that are first washed and then blanched, de-seeded, de-skinned and crushed to a chunky texture and cooked with garlic, olive oil, fresh basil and seasoning to attain a smooth consistency.
My personal belief is that pomodoro sauce is one of the most essential ingredients in European cuisine, and is often the mark of a great chef to prepare it right. It is a challenge for many chefs to maintain the right consistency, such that it gets properly emulsified in whichever dish it is added to.
Pomodoro sauce is a staple for varieties of pastas, pizzas and mains. It can make or break a great dish. Utmost care must be taken to ensure that only ripened fresh tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and good quality of olive oil with the right seasoning are used in its preparation as this enhances the overall dish with its tangy and delightful taste. It gives the desired texture, aroma and essence to the dish. For example, Garganelli pasta with roasted tomatoes and white onions tastes amazing with the right addition of pomodoro sauce to it.
Lasagne, asparagus and soya is yet another dish where the flavour of the dish is enhanced by freshly-made pomodoro sauce.
GARGANELLI PASTA, ROASTED TOMATOES and WHITE ONIONS
Ingredients
- 120 gm pasta sheet
- 25 ml olive oil
- 50 gm tomato, roasted
- 50 gm asparagus
- 50 gm white onion
- 2 gm salt and pepper
- 60 ml pomodoro sauce
- 5 gm basil
- 10 gm garlic
- 10 gm parmesan cheese
- 2 gm parsley
- 2 gm rocket leaves
Method
- Take a pasta sheet and cut it into small triangle. Roll it to make a tube-shaped garganelli pasta.
- Blanch it al dente and cool it in ice water. Drain it and mix with olive oil.
- Heat the olive oil in the pan. Add some roasted garlic, white onions and cook till it becomes tender.
- Add pomodoro sauce, fresh basil and the seasoning and add the pasta and the roasted tomato in the sauce. Toss properly so that the pasta is evenly mixed with the sauce.
- Garnish with some rocket and parsley leaves and add some parmesan cheese and serve it hot.
