Pasta alla Pomarola
Recipe Samin Nostrat - Salt Fat Acid Heat Cookbook
Serves 4 people
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium red or yellow onions, thinly sliced
Salt
4 garlic cloves
4 lbs fresh ripe tomatoes or two (28-oz) cans if whole San Marzano or Roma tomatoes in their juices
16 fresh basil leaves
¾ lb spaghetti, bucatini or fettuccine
Parmesan, pecorino Roman cheese for serving
Direction:
Set a large, heavy-bottomed, nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom. When hot the oil shimmers, add the onions.
Season with salt and reduce the heat to medium, stirring from time to time to prevent burning. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, or blond about 15 minutes. A little browning is fine, but don’t let the onions burn. If the onions begin to brown too quickly, turn down heat and add a splash of water.
While the onions cook, slice the garlic, then quarter tomatoes, if using fresh. If using canned, pour them into a large deep bowl and crush with your hands. Swirl about ¼ cup of water in one can, then pour it into the second can and swirl, then add to the tomatoes. Set aside.
Once the onions are soft, push them to the outer edges of the pot and add a spoonful of oil into the center. Add the garlic to the oil. Gently sizzle the garlic until it starts to give off an aroma, about 20 seconds add the tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, using a wooden spoon to smash them a bit and encourage the juice to come out. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Season with salt and tear basil leaves or add oregano, if using.
Cook over low heat, stirring the sauce with a wooden spoon. Scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure that nothing sticks. The sauce is done for real tomatoes in about 25 minutes. If you are using canned tomatoes simmer for 40 minutes. When the tomatoes are cooked, bring the sauce to a rapid simmer and stir in ¾ cup of good olive oil. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes; the pomarola will transform into a rich sauce as it emulsifies. Remove from the heat.
Puree the sauce with a stick blender or blender, then taste and adjust seasoning. Keep covered in refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. Serve over pasta!
This sauce can be used for pizza sauce , lasagna, Pasta all Puttanesca, Pasta all’Amatriciana.