Pomodoro Pasta Sauce

We've planted tomato plants for the first time this year , well the kids have, and we're very excited to eat the spoils. Tomatoes are still one of foods that scare the kids, they're ok eating it cooked, but with no chunks and whole baby tomatoes are also good. I know that this aversion is quite common and my husband tells me that he was the same. I find it quite odd, though, as I loved tomatoes as a child. My favourite after school snack was a freshly picked tomato from granny's garden, sprinkled with a little salt. So so good! 

I've been experimenting with my basic tomato sauce recently. I make one with roasted baby tomatoes which is quite sweet but I wanted one that was a bit fresher tasting for pasta and also as a pizza topping. This Pomodoro sauce is great as a week day base. Add some roasted veggies or a bit of leftover meat for a variation. My granny would make a pomodoro sauce at least once a week, and I always found it such a treat. This is the closest I've come to recreating the flavours of her recipe.

Pomodoro Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tins of plum tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1 splash of balsamic vinegar

Method
1. Cook the onion at a low heat in olive oil, until golden brown.

2. Add the carrot and cook at a low heat until softened.

3. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, before adding the plum tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar.

4. Cook at a low heat for 40 minutes or until thickened.

5. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and simmer for a further 5 minutes and season to taste.

6. Puree to the desired consistency.

7. Serve on pasta or use as a pizza topping.

Enjoy!

Clem.