ITALIAN Shit I've Cooked Lately

[BHMCruiser 1813]

Y'all don't make soffritto for your sauces? It will add a lot of that sweetness and depth you're discussing. 

[WhatTheBuck 28781]

1 hour ago, BHMCruiser said:

Y'all don't make soffritto for your sauces? It will add a lot of that sweetness and depth you're discussing. 

No, just mirepoix. 

[BHMCruiser 1813]

1 hour ago, WhatTheBuck said:

No, just mirepoix. 

huh

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

1 hour ago, BHMCruiser said:

huh

I'm gonna assume it's a joke.

[WhatTheBuck 28781]

6 hours ago, Cheeseweasel said:

I'm gonna assume it's a joke.

I found it amusing. 

[dcbc 14484]

Sunday gravy.

[dcbc 14484]

And a little later.

[HenryJames 66052]

Bucatini all’Amatriciana, imo. Five ingredients: bucatini, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, Guanciale, and pecorino. The beauty of Italian cooking. 
 

Brown the Guanciale, bloom the red pepper, then simmer with the tomatoes while the bucatini cooks to al dente. Stir in the bucatini along with the pecorino. This is a white wine dish so paired with a Vernaccia from Tuscany.

But HJ, I can’t get Guanciale and pecorino in Pampa. Can I use pancetta and Parmesan instead? Sure. And while you’re at it, why don’t you go shit on Marcella Hazan’s grave?

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by HenryJames

[texasdago 7573]

On 4/1/2022 at 2:25 PM, Cheeseweasel said:

I'm gonna assume it's a joke.

I get the joke 

[Texzilla58 4735]

I have a likely unpopular opinion but I’m not beholden to these certified Italian ingredients which are fairly recent things bourne of marketing gurus and bypassing of EU rules. Italian and Sicilian immigrants didn’t know nothing about San Marzano tomatoes or certified $9 flour. They generally spent most of their time starving.

They came to America and even the poorest could eat great because of our abundance; the abandazza. So they invented what we call Italian food. So I use RedGold canned tomatoes because that’s what the Italian American families I know use. I don’t use crazy expensive olive oil for cooking. I don’t use crazy expensive dried pasta either when I can get bronze cut stuff for a third the price.

If you enjoy spending on the most expensive ingredients more power to you.

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

27 minutes ago, Texzilla58 said:

San Marzano tomatoes

They were a game changer for me. Something about the acidity of other tomatoes that make San Marzano's easier to use.

[HenryJames 66052]

43 minutes ago, Texzilla58 said:

I have a likely unpopular opinion but I’m not beholden to these certified Italian ingredients which are fairly recent things bourne of marketing gurus and bypassing of EU rules. Italian and Sicilian immigrants didn’t know nothing about San Marzano tomatoes or certified $9 flour. They generally spent most of their time starving.

They came to America and even the poorest could eat great because of our abundance; the abandazza. So they invented what we call Italian food. So I use RedGold canned tomatoes because that’s what the Italian American families I know use. I don’t use crazy expensive olive oil for cooking. I don’t use crazy expensive dried pasta either when I can get bronze cut stuff for a third the price.

If you enjoy spending on the most expensive ingredients more power to you.

[dcbc 14484]

48 minutes ago, Texzilla58 said:

I have a likely unpopular opinion but I’m not beholden to these certified Italian ingredients which are fairly recent things bourne of marketing gurus and bypassing of EU rules. Italian and Sicilian immigrants didn’t know nothing about San Marzano tomatoes or certified $9 flour. They generally spent most of their time starving.

They came to America and even the poorest could eat great because of our abundance; the abandazza. So they invented what we call Italian food. So I use RedGold canned tomatoes because that’s what the Italian American families I know use. I don’t use crazy expensive olive oil for cooking. I don’t use crazy expensive dried pasta either when I can get bronze cut stuff for a third the price.

If you enjoy spending on the most expensive ingredients more power to you.

I've used Red Gold in the past for pizza sauce and was generally happy with it.  More recently, I've started grabbing S/M tomatoes just because I don't use enough canned whole tomatoes to be too concerned the price difference and can taste a bit of a difference.  But it's all good.

Edited April 5, 2022 by dcbc

[texasdago 7573]

"So they invented what we call Italian food." - and Italians call it Italian-American food

 

Chicken "Parmesan"

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Mozzarella Sticks

Garlic Bread

Detroit-style Pizza

Chicken in pasta

Creamy alfredo

Cream in carbonara

Tasty?  Maybe/Maybe Not.  Italian.  Nope.

 

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

1 minute ago, texasdago said:

"So they invented what we call Italian food." - and Italians call it Italian-American food

 

Chicken "Parmesan"

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Mozzarella Sticks

Garlic Bread

Detroit-style Pizza

Chicken in pasta

Creamy alfredo

Cream in carbonara

Tasty?  Maybe/Maybe Not.  Italian.  Nope.

 

Who pissed in your marinara? 

[texasdago 7573]

3 minutes ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Who pissed in your marinara? 

Proponents of Cincinnati Chili and people who use Pompeiian olive oil

Edited April 6, 2022 by texasdago

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

39 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Proponents of Cincinnati Chili and people who use Pompeiian olive oil

I support you pissing.

[Landomatic 3813]

On 4/5/2022 at 4:44 PM, Texzilla58 said:

I have a likely unpopular opinion but I’m not beholden to these certified Italian ingredients which are fairly recent things bourne of marketing gurus and bypassing of EU rules. Italian and Sicilian immigrants didn’t know nothing about San Marzano tomatoes or certified $9 flour. They generally spent most of their time starving.

They came to America and even the poorest could eat great because of our abundance; the abandazza. So they invented what we call Italian food. So I use RedGold canned tomatoes because that’s what the Italian American families I know use. I don’t use crazy expensive olive oil for cooking. I don’t use crazy expensive dried pasta either when I can get bronze cut stuff for a third the price.

If you enjoy spending on the most expensive ingredients more power to you.

I like you man, but you’re crazy

[WhatTheBuck 28781]

Parmigiano Reggiano is “the undisputed king of cheese,” as Mario Batali likes to say. And you want to get the real thing. Now, for some applications it doesn’t hurt to have cheaper stuff on hand. But check the label. If “wood cellulose” is listed as an ingredient, which they add to prevent caking, you’re basically buying cheese with sawdust in it. You’re eating sawdust. I don’t mind paying a little extra to avoid eating sawdust. 

[texasdago 7573]

33 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

Parmigiano Reggiano is “the undisputed king of cheese,” as Mario Batali likes to say. And you want to get the real thing. Now, for some applications it doesn’t hurt to have cheaper stuff on hand. But check the label. If “wood cellulose” is listed as an ingredient, which they add to prevent caking, you’re basically buying cheese with sawdust in it. You’re eating sawdust. I don’t mind paying a little extra to avoid eating sawdust. 

Its funny... my Italian family has always joked that the canned crap is sawdust but we didn't realize it was ACTUALLY sawdust.

[Texzilla58 4735]

I like you man, but you’re crazy

It’s history. We are a nation of poors and destitutes. That’s why most came here. Do you think they had $7 canned San Marzanos to eat in 1895 southern Italy? Recency bias blurs so much. “It’s so authentic” is biggest crock of shit statement when it comes to food, especially uttered by hipsters in a trendy Ethiopian or Sioux restaurant

I grew up in a time where convenience foods were the rage. Hamburger Helper, Shake nBake, TV dinners with the dessert square in the middle. You might hate canned biscuits but my great grandmother had 14 kids. She made 4 dozen biscuits two to three times a day on their small Limestone County farm. She thought canned biscuits were the greatest invention ever.

[Texzilla58 4735]

Parmigiano Reggiano is “the undisputed king of cheese,” as Mario Batali likes to say. And you want to get the real thing. Now, for some applications it doesn’t hurt to have cheaper stuff on hand. But check the label. If “wood cellulose” is listed as an ingredient, which they add to prevent caking, you’re basically buying cheese with sawdust in it. You’re eating sawdust. I don’t mind paying a little extra to avoid eating sawdust. 

Did Mario say “Suck on my King of Cheese!” to the ladies abused in his employ?

Don’t buy any pregrated cheese; it has a variety of anti caking agents. A cheap Parmesan freshly grated with a micro plane is generally better than a pregrated expensive one.

[WhatTheBuck 28781]

39 minutes ago, Texzilla58 said:

Did Mario say “Suck on my King of Cheese!” to the ladies abused in his employ?

Don’t buy any pregrated cheese; it has a variety of anti caking agents. A cheap Parmesan freshly grated with a micro plane is generally better than a pregrated expensive one.

I like Mario’s cooking. I don’t let his personal life affect my appreciation of it, just like I don’t let the fact that John Lennon used to be cruel to his woman and beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved affect my appreciation of his music. Man he was mean but he was changing his scene and doing the best that he could.

Like I said, read the label. I’m not grating a wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano on a frozen pizza or a dish where the sauce is made from Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup. I have a jar of this in the fridge. When it cakes I just pop the shaker top off and use a butter knife to break it up. No problem.

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

[Kennythetiger 9382]

On 4/6/2022 at 11:26 AM, texasdago said:

"So they invented what we call Italian food." - and Italians call it Italian-American food

 

Chicken "Parmesan"

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Mozzarella Sticks

Garlic Bread

Detroit-style Pizza

Chicken in pasta

Creamy alfredo

Cream in carbonara

Tasty?  Maybe/Maybe Not.  Italian.  Nope.

 

I don’t give a damn about the ethnicity of the person who invented garlic bread, but they ought to have their face engraved on Mount Rushmore. Homemade garlic bread and spaghetti sauce were supper time staples at my house when I was growing up. 

[Bogeywon 2519]

Sausage and peppers…. Nothing serious but tasty 

[Texzilla58 4735]

I love sausage and peppers. I admit to laziness. I usually make with bulk hot and sweet Italian sausage. Makes an easy to eat sausage peppers parm sandwich on a good roll.

[WhatTheBuck 28781]

17 hours ago, Bogeywon said:

Sausage and peppers…. Nothing serious but tasty 

You can also add tomato sauce to that. I don’t have a pic but I’ve smoked some sausages, just the basic Italian ones from Kroger, roasted some red peppers, and grilled a white onion, then dressed them with tomato sauce. It’s excellent.

If I don’t make my own pasta sauce then I’ll use Newman’s Own roasted garlic sauce in a pinch. But I’ll usually go with this local product; when you buy it at their market it’s a little cheaper than at the regular grocery store (goes for $5.99 so you save a buck or two) and they give you a free pound of dried pasta to go with it:

[Bogeywon 2519]

1 hour ago, WhatTheBuck said:

You can also add tomato sauce to that. I don’t have a pic but I’ve smoked some sausages, just the basic Italian ones from Kroger, roasted some red peppers, and grilled a white onion, then dressed them with tomato sauce. It’s excellent.

If I don’t make my own pasta sauce then I’ll use Newman’s Own roasted garlic sauce in a pinch. But I’ll usually go with this local product; when you buy it at their market it’s a little cheaper than at the regular grocery store (goes for $5.99 so you save a buck or two) and they give you a free pound of dried pasta to go with it:

Yup! Not my style. I normally do this:

red peppers

Hungarian hot peppers

onion

slice potato’s

rinaldi (and only rinaldi) hot sausage 

garlic Oliver oil. 
 

pictured is the lazy version

 

[HenryJames 66052]

Carbonara. Olive oil, garlic, white wine, eggs, parsley, pecorino, Parmesan, black pepper, spaghetti, and Guanciale.

 

Edited April 26, 2022 by HenryJames

[ohchaucer 1443]

Would love some advice on a basic red sauce I’ve been making. I love doing a big gravy or ragu or bolognese but I’ve been trying to perfect a basic rd sauce (I guess it would be marinara?). What I’ve been doing basically:

- olive oil to soften half a yellow onion
- toss in a single garlic clove
- 28oz whole peeled San
- half a cup of chicken stock
- half can of tomato paste
- teaspoon of Italian seasoning (vary this up sometimes)
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

That is it. But it keeps turning out just too… tomato-y. Almost too rich. Should I cut it with a little water? Maybe kill the tomato paste? Any super simple recipes or techniques I’m over-thinking?

[Texzilla58 4735]

Easy.

1/2 cup Olive oil.
1 cup Finely minced onion
Red pepper flakes
8 cloves Finely minced garlic
2 28 oz cans Canned whole tomatoes
Dried oregano
Fresh basil leaves minced
Sugar
Butter
Salt pepper

Sauté the onion til clear with red pepper flakes to taste. Lower heat. Add garlic and sauté til cooked through but not dark. Add tomatoes and crush. Season with oregano salt and pepper. Add sugar to balance acidity. Butter if desired to round it out.
Add basil at the end.

[Etexhorn13 3048]

2 hours ago, ohchaucer said:

Would love some advice on a basic red sauce I’ve been making. I love doing a big gravy or ragu or bolognese but I’ve been trying to perfect a basic rd sauce (I guess it would be marinara?). What I’ve been doing basically:

- olive oil to soften half a yellow onion
- toss in a single garlic clove
- 28oz whole peeled San
- half a cup of chicken stock
- half can of tomato paste
- teaspoon of Italian seasoning (vary this up sometimes)
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

That is it. But it keeps turning out just too… tomato-y. Almost too rich. Should I cut it with a little water? Maybe kill the tomato paste? Any super simple recipes or techniques I’m over-thinking?

More garlic less/no tomato paste. If I’m making just a real basic marinara i skip the whole peeled and just use tomato sauce. 

[South Austin 52499]

8 hours ago, Texzilla58 said:

Add sugar to balance acidity.

This helps. Not a lot of sugar, but a teaspoon or less will balance it out.

[Texzilla58 4735]

More garlic less/no tomato paste. If I’m making just a real basic marinara i skip the whole peeled and just use tomato sauce. 

I like a brighter sauce as it holds up to the Parmesan and a little sugar can finesse it. If you use tomato paste it’s too sweet; it only goes into longer cooked sauces like red meat gravy. You can also add finely shredded carrot if you like it sweeter; it should disappear.

[Landomatic 3813]

11 hours ago, ohchaucer said:

Would love some advice on a basic red sauce I’ve been making. I love doing a big gravy or ragu or bolognese but I’ve been trying to perfect a basic rd sauce (I guess it would be marinara?). What I’ve been doing basically:

- olive oil to soften half a yellow onion
- toss in a single garlic clove
- 28oz whole peeled San
- half a cup of chicken stock
- half can of tomato paste
- teaspoon of Italian seasoning (vary this up sometimes)
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

That is it. But it keeps turning out just too… tomato-y. Almost too rich. Should I cut it with a little water? Maybe kill the tomato paste? Any super simple recipes or techniques I’m over-thinking?

Here’s my go-to that slams every time. From page one of this thread. Leave the meat out if you want just red sauce.

 

[WhatTheBuck 28781]

12 hours ago, ohchaucer said:

Would love some advice on a basic red sauce I’ve been making. I love doing a big gravy or ragu or bolognese but I’ve been trying to perfect a basic rd sauce (I guess it would be marinara?). What I’ve been doing basically:

- olive oil to soften half a yellow onion
- toss in a single garlic clove
- 28oz whole peeled San
- half a cup of chicken stock
- half can of tomato paste
- teaspoon of Italian seasoning (vary this up sometimes)
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

That is it. But it keeps turning out just too… tomato-y. Almost too rich. Should I cut it with a little water? Maybe kill the tomato paste? Any super simple recipes or techniques I’m over-thinking?

My first piece of advice would be to use more garlic but that’s a matter of preference. It’s possible to use too much garlic but one clove is nowhere close.

I’m not sure why you’re adding fish sauce. And chicken stock? Maybe try red wine instead?

Tomatoes are already sweet. But they’re also acidic. I don’t see any reason to ever add sugar to a tomato sauce. Add shredded carrots instead. You didn’t mention salt and pepper in your recipe. The right amount of salt is crucial to balancing out the sweet acidity of the tomatoes. 

When are you adding your tomato paste? I’d add it after the onions and garlic, carrots, maybe celery. Clear out a hot spot in your pot and put it there, stir it and let it cook a little bit before you add your crushed tomatoes with all their juice. That will mellow it out some and give it a deeper flavor. 

[dcbc 14484]

39 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

My first piece of advice would be to use more garlic but that’s a matter of preference. It’s possible to use too much garlic but one clove is nowhere close.

I’m not sure why you’re adding fish sauce. And chicken stock? Maybe try red wine instead?

Tomatoes are already sweet. But they’re also acidic. I don’t see any reason to ever add sugar to a tomato sauce. Add shredded carrots instead. You didn’t mention salt and pepper in your recipe. The right amount of salt is crucial to balancing out the sweet acidity of the tomatoes. 

When are you adding your tomato paste? I’d add it after the onions and garlic, carrots, maybe celery. Clear out a hot spot in your pot and put it there, stir it and let it cook a little bit before you add your crushed tomatoes with all their juice. That will mellow it out some and give it a deeper flavor. 

I've seen a lot of recipes with chicken stock in them.  I've used it several times.  It evaporates over long cooks and leaves a nice flavor.  But you'll want to salt at the end (even moreso) if you use it. 

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

They difference between an average sauce and a good sauce is time. Slow and low. 

And shitloads of garlic.

[BHMCruiser 1813]

18 hours ago, ohchaucer said:

Would love some advice on a basic red sauce I’ve been making. I love doing a big gravy or ragu or bolognese but I’ve been trying to perfect a basic rd sauce (I guess it would be marinara?). What I’ve been doing basically:

- olive oil to soften half a yellow onion
- toss in a single garlic clove
- 28oz whole peeled San
- half a cup of chicken stock
- half can of tomato paste
- teaspoon of Italian seasoning (vary this up sometimes)
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

That is it. But it keeps turning out just too… tomato-y. Almost too rich. Should I cut it with a little water? Maybe kill the tomato paste? Any super simple recipes or techniques I’m over-thinking?

It's too tomato-y because you aren't "cooking out" the tomato paste. Just change up the order. Soften the onion (although you should use carrots and celery too), then toss in the garlic, then put in the tomato paste and stir it around and let it cook for awhile. It opens up the flavor and gets rid of that tomato tang. 

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

44 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said:

tomato tang.

That was my nickname in Highschool. 

[VABuckeye 2472]

21 hours ago, ohchaucer said:

Would love some advice on a basic red sauce I’ve been making. I love doing a big gravy or ragu or bolognese but I’ve been trying to perfect a basic rd sauce (I guess it would be marinara?). What I’ve been doing basically:

- olive oil to soften half a yellow onion
- toss in a single garlic clove
- 28oz whole peeled San
- half a cup of chicken stock
- half can of tomato paste
- teaspoon of Italian seasoning (vary this up sometimes)
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

That is it. But it keeps turning out just too… tomato-y. Almost too rich. Should I cut it with a little water? Maybe kill the tomato paste? Any super simple recipes or techniques I’m over-thinking?

Basic red sauce

20 tomatoes diced

1/2 cup olive oil

6 cloves of garlic thinly sliced

6 whole cloves of garlic

salt, pepper and cayenne

Heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the sliced garlic (should be bubbling oil around the garlic).  Do NOT brown the garlic.  Add the diced tomatoes and whole garlic cloves. Add salt and pepper but not too much as you will add more later to taste.  Keep on medium heat and keep stirring.  You're going to cook those diced tomatoes all the way down into a sauce.  At least 3-4 hours.  At the end add salt and pepper to taste and cayenne as you prefer to your level.  I just put a very light dusting of cayenne in mine.  This is an al' aglione sauce which is a Tuscan red sauce.  When you cook your pasta move the pasta straight from the water into the sauce allowing a little water to get in with the pasta and sauce.  This will help the sauce bind to the pasta.

Enjoy!

[VABuckeye 2472]

2 hours ago, BHMCruiser said:

It's too tomato-y because you aren't "cooking out" the tomato paste. Just change up the order. Soften the onion (although you should use carrots and celery too), then toss in the garlic, then put in the tomato paste and stir it around and let it cook for awhile. It opens up the flavor and gets rid of that tomato tang. 

A red sauce really needs no tomato paste at all.  IMO.  And generally more garlic is better.

[scottsins 1966]

Carbonara

Started with some fresh pancetta which ended up being really rich.  I think the stuff I bought was pretty stout and I probably used a little too much.  Might try it with guanciale next time.

Cubed that up using about half of what's pictured above.  Probably could have gone with about 1/4 or 1/3 and the cubes could have been a little smaller.  Ratios in the end were definitely a little off.  Little too heavy on the meat regardless of what kind.

Only other ingredients are EVOO, eggs, pepper, pasta and parmigiano reggiano.  Went with 2 eggs and one egg yolk.  Again, that ratio didn't end up perfect, was a little too eggy for my liking.  Whisked them together with some parmigiano reggiano and pepper to create the sauce.

Get the pancetta browning in a few tablespoons of EVOO while the pasta cooks.

Good and browned up and heat reduced.

Add pasta and toss together with the pancetta.  I used bucatini because I like it, but any long skinny noodle will do.  Again, for ratio purposes, I think this needed about double the noodles.  I used a half a package and I think it needed the whole box with the amount of egg and pancetta I had.

Turn the heat off (this is probably the most important thing I've learned so far) and add a scoop of pasta water and the egg mixture.  In the past, I've kept the heat up and ended up with somewhat of a scrambled egg mixture.  Reducing the heat makes it melt together much better for the creamy substance you're looking for.

Finished with a little more freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and pepper (more pepper wasn't necessary).

To summarize (and for my future reference), this served 2 people and should probably have served about 4.  Needed double the noodles to serve 4 or half the meat and sauce to serve 2.  End result was really rich and cutting down eggs and pancetta or increasing bucatini should have taken care of this.

My carbonara. With guanciale, which is apparently the true traditional ingredient and pecorino-Romano cheese which, according to hardcore Italians, is a non-negotiable.

The technique is kind of a bitch because I use a double boiler to slowly heat the egg yolks (no whites). One trick I’ve learned is to go ahead and mix some/most of the cheese gradually in the egg mixture.

*. As with all great pasta, the starchy water is Fucking key. In fact, Serious Eats recommends using a skillet to boil the pasta. The theory is that you want to use as little water as possible, because that way, the water that you add to the sauce at the end has a much higher starch content, relative to volume, so it brings it all together much more effectively.

Also, props for this thread. I Fucking love making Italian food.

[HenryJames 66052]

I combine the cheese and eggs in one bowl and then add the cooked pasta to the bowl. Never mix in a hot pan. Then I pour over the Guanciale.

[South Austin 52499]

11 hours ago, scottsins said:

In fact, Serious Eats recommends using a skillet to boil the pasta. The theory is that you want to use as little water as possible, because that way, the water that you add to the sauce at the end has a much higher starch content, relative to volume, so it brings it all together much more effectively.

Definitely on the starchy water, but I've never tried to boil the past with less water to up the concentration.  Great tip and thanks for passing along.

[irishtexan 11519]

I use Marcella Hazan's basic red sauce recipe because she knew more about this shit than I do and it's easy as fuck. Good canned tomatoes, onion, butter, salt. That's it.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015178-marcella-hazans-tomato-sauce

But, as is the case with any sauce, church it up however you want. Want to leave the onions in? Cool! Pull em out and pop em in a blender and throw them back in the sauce. I've done that before. I've made it with garlic. I've thrown fresh basil in there or even dried italian seasoning. I've put a cup of wine in and let it reduce. Whatever. But really, it doesn't need to get more complicated than this. 

[HenryJames 66052]

18 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

I use Marcella Hazan's basic red sauce recipe because she knew more about this shit than I do and it's easy as fuck. Good canned tomatoes, onion, butter, salt. That's it.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015178-marcella-hazans-tomato-sauce

But, as is the case with any sauce, church it up however you want. Want to leave the onions in? Cool! Pull em out and pop em in a blender and throw them back in the sauce. I've done that before. I've made it with garlic. I've thrown fresh basil in there or even dried italian seasoning. I've put a cup of wine in and let it reduce. Whatever. But really, it doesn't need to get more complicated than this. 

Yeah, that's my go to as well. Also works really well with fresh tomatoes.

[BHMCruiser 1813]

16 hours ago, VABuckeye said:

A red sauce really needs no tomato paste at all.  IMO.  And generally more garlic is better.

okay

[VABuckeye 2472]

10 minutes ago, BHMCruiser said:

okay

The point is that it's so loaded with tomato already.  Why add concentrated tomatoes to the mix?