I swear this 2-hour meatless sauce will fool anyone into thinking it was simmered for 6-hours with meat. The rich depth of flavor is amazing and well worth a Saturday afternoon making it the way the "old timers" did. Even if you make it only once in your cooking life, the experience is one you'll never forget.

For those of you who've made pasta sauce from fresh tomatoes, you know the very smell of the sauce cooking is like nothing else on earth. With all my heart, I wanted to experience that little piece of heaven again to bring back some very sweet memories of my father, Antonio "Tony" Alfonsi.
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My Pop, Tony, with his mother Grazia. (You can see the steel mills in the background.) |
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My Father and Mother, Antonio and Rose Alfonsi |
For over 30 years, Tony was a faithful husband to my late mom, Rose. He raised two daughters with her: one a medical doctor (and assistant professor), Grace; and the other a journalist and New York Times bestselling author (yes, me, Alice, aka Cleo).
As one of his nurses said to him in the last few months of his life, "You did good." I think so, too, and count myself very lucky to have been his daughter.
Fresh pasta sauce was part of that yield, which is why I'm dedicating this post to my father. My husband and I also dedicated one of our Haunted Bookshop Mysteries to him, as well as our 13th Coffeehouse Mystery, Billionaire Blend, the book we were writing when he passed away.
Alice Alfonsi,
who writes The Coffeehouse Mysteries
as Cleo Coyle with her husband Marc Cerasini
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8 pounds (about 23) peeled and de-seeded fresh tomatoes will cook down to about 1 quart (4 cups), which is what I use in the sauce recipe below... |
in an illustrated PDF
document that you can print,
save, or share, click here.
~ Cleo (Alice)
Makes about 1-1/2 to 2 quarts
(depending on your thickness preference)
Ingredients:
8 pounds ripe garden tomatoes
(about 20 to 25 tomatoes)
5 celery ribs
2 carrots
1 large white onion
1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley leaves (curly or flat-leaf)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon dried basil (or 3 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade.)
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup of your favorite red wine (I’m using Chianti this go-round)
1-4 cups vegetable stock (in a pinch, simply use water)
Step 1- Prep the fresh tomato base: The taste of fresh summer tomatoes in this sauce is truly amazing, but you must first properly prepare the tomatoes. The process of peeling, de-seeding, and pulping those little round orbs may sound difficult, but it’s very easy—and once learned, the techniques can be used in a lifetime of cooking. See my instructions at the end of this recipe.
Step 2 - Prep the veggie aromatics: Roughly chop the celery, carrots, parsley, and onion. Add them to a food processor with the olive oil and pulse until very finely chopped—but do not puree or liquefy.
Step 3 - Add the spices and ignite: Add this veggie mix to a large pot with the spices (garlic powder, fresh or dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper) and sauté (while stirring) over medium heat for about 10 minutes to release the flavors. Be sure to stir to keep the mixture from burning.
Step 4 - Add tomato pulp, wine and simmer: Add the quart of tomatoes that you have peeled, de-seeded, and cooked down into pulp (see instructions at end). Pour in the wine and simmer for 1 hour, stirring every so often to prevent scorching. After 1 hour, the mixture will have thickened into a beautifully condensed and very flavorful sauce. Now all you need to do is thin it out a bit...

Storing: This sauce will stay fresh about 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
How to Prep Fresh Tomatoes for Sauce
Peeling and de-seeding tomatoes will remove bitterness and unwanted textures from your sauce. Because this step brings your sauce to a higher level of taste, it’s truly worth it—and it’s very easy to do. To watch a chef from the Culinary Institute of America perform this very easy process, click the arrow in the window below and watch the YouTube video.
1 - Peel your tomatoes: Remove stems and shallowly core as shown in my photo. Slice a small X at the bottom of each tomato.
While the tomatoes are cooking down, begin the Meatless Spaghetti Sauce recipe, starting with Step 2, and when you're finished, be sure to...eat with joy!
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A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart. I love you, Dad. Rest now and I will see you again... |
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Yes, this is me now, Cleo (aka Alice).
Friend me on facebook here.
Follow me on twitter here.
Visit my online coffeehouse here.
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The Ghost and Mrs. McClure Book #1 of The Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, which Cleo writes under the name Alice Kimberly To learn more, click here. |
Cleo, I am so sorry about the loss of your dad! No matter how ready he was to go, a dad is something special. I know you'll keep those wonderful memories in your heart forever! (Love the wedding photos...)
ReplyDeleteAnd love the tomato sauce in his memory--I will save this for later in the summer when those tomatoes come rolling in...
I can almost taste and smell it. My Dad was a big one for cooking in my family. The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?
ReplyDeleteYour heart and love pour out in this posting.
Thanks for sharing you Dad with us.
The entire Phillips family sends much love, sympathy and compassion to both you and Grace.
ReplyDeleteOn angel's wings he flew...
What magnificent post and lovely tribute to your Dad, Cleo. I enjoyed the family history. In fact, you brought tears to my eyes. This recipe seems like the stuff of legends and I can't wait to make it.
ReplyDeleteWith love and sympathy
So sorry for your loss. I lost my dad over 30 years ago and still miss him and my mom so much. However once the initial grieving is over you will be left with happy memories of a loving person. Can't wait to try this,my son the vegetarian will love it.
ReplyDeleteThoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Cleo, so sorry for your loss, but what a lovely tribute to your father. 2000 tomato plants? Wow. I lost my dad years ago and miss him every day. We picked fruit vines together. I understand your pain.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the sauce - sounds yummy. I wouldn't have thought to de-seed the tomatoes. I know how to peel them, but usually I throw in the whole thing. I've got to try this. With the wine. :)
Hugs and love,
Daryl
What a touching tribute to your father - made me teary-eyed. I'm so sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteCleo, your father must be very proud of you. I'm sure he would be honored by this lovely tribute. What a handsome young man he was! I see you in his face.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think I'm too eager to make everything about the meat. But veggies have such wonderful flavor. I'm not surprised that this is a popular dish.
~Krista
Thanks to everyone for your kind comments on the post. I think Dad would have liked it, too--the post and the sauce.
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Love,
~ Cleo (Alice) Coffeehouse Mystery.com
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
Your father *did* do good, in so many ways. May his memory be a blessing to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteMy dad was an Irishman who loved to grow beefsteak tomatoes (and of course, potatoes!) in our small backyard. I will make this scrumptious sounding sauce and some homemade pasta, and dedicate the meal to your wonderful father. xo
What a beautiful post and dedication to your dad. Those of us lucky enough to have had
ReplyDeletefathers we adored know the pain you are feeling. But he'll be with you always...especially as you cook! Thanks for the wonderful stories and the photos ....and of course your
excellent books! Keep on keepin' on....sending warm hugs from Minnesota....