The leaves are beginning to change, the days are getting shorter and the nights are becoming cooler. It’s fall, officially.

I’m always nostalgic during this time of year. Growing up, when most children went home from soccer practice to a dinner of maybe roasted chicken and mashed potatoes, I would come home from drama practice to a hot pot of tomato sauce waiting for me at the door. Immediately to its left, a big chunk of crusty bread, ready for dipping.

It was a perfect treat on those cool, fall nights.

They say a true Italian doesn’t work from a recipe, and honestly, I don’t. But here, I’ve devised a how-to on my own homemade tomato sauce, using fresh tomatoes as a base. I won’t say it’s better than my mom’s, but it’s perfectly dippable and a delicious treat any time of the year.

When selecting tomatoes for this recipe, look for the ones you’d consider too ripe for sandwiches: their flavors will be sweeter and more condensed. In the winter, when garden fresh tomatoes are not available, you can use your grocer’s selection, or even opt for canned (I won’t tell). Two 15-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes will do.

The trick here is to grate the tomatoes on a box grater, rather than to crush by hand or pulse in the food processor. With grating, you don’t have to peel the tomatoes; the skins will be left behind, and you’ll have the convenience of not having to wash a large piece of equipment. The beauty of any sauce recipe is its versatility. Here, I stick with the traditional tomato-basil variety, but feel free to substitute any fresh herb you’d like. Rosemary would work well, lending a subtle earthy dimension to an otherwise standard sauce. Sage would be good, too, as would oregano.

The wine is optional. Water could be used instead, but it adds a complexity not found in alcohol-free versions.

Most red sauces also call for red wine, but I prefer to work in opposition to the norm, opting for a white wine instead. Rather than the rich, buttery complexion attributable to red wine – which, albeit great, I find too heavy with pasta – white adds a subtle fruitiness that contrasts nicely against the acidity of the tomatoes.

When choosing a wine, be sure to select a varietal you’d drink on its own. This is not the place for “cooking” wine. I recommend a light, crisp pinot grigio or an unoaked chardonnay – something that is neither too sweet nor too heavy. Use a half cup for the sauce, and pour yourself a glass of equal amount. You’ve just made your own sauce from scratch; you’ve earned it.

Fresh and Simple Tomato Sauce

Start to finish: 1 hour
(1 hour active)
Servings: 4

3 pounds fresh tomatoes,
halved, with seeds intact
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup shallots (about 3),
grated
2 tablespoons garlic
(about 4 cloves), minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup freshly chopped
basil
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus
more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly
cracked black pepper, plus
more to taste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red
pepper flakes

Over a large, wide bowl, grate the tomatoes by rubbing the flesh side against a box grater until the flesh is pureed and nothing but the skins remain. Set aside the puree and discard the skins.

In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, add 1/4 cup of the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and salt and sauté until translucent, about five to seven minutes. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant. Add the black pepper and red pepper flakes and cook for one minute.

Add the tomato paste and cook until it begins to caramelize, taking care not to let it burn. Add the wine to deglaze the pan and let reduce until most of the liquid is gone. Add the tomato puree and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, add the parmesan cheese and lower the heat to a simmer, cook for 35 to 40 minutes until the sauce is reduced and the flavors are concentrated. Finish sauce with the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil, chopped basil and additional salt, pepper and red pepper to taste.

Enjoy immediately with your favorite pasta – something that can really cling onto the sauce – or refrigerate for up to a week.

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or [email protected].