Everything about Tomato Sauce totally explained
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This article is about the sauces often used with pasta. In some countries, "tomato sauce" is also used to refer to the condiment ketchup.
A
tomato sauce is any of a very large number of
sauces made primarily out of
tomatoes, usually to be served as part of a
dish (rather than as a
condiment). Tomato sauces are common for meat and vegetables, but they're perhaps best known as sauces for
pasta dishes.
Tomatoes have a rich flavor, low liquid content, very soft flesh which breaks down easily, and the right composition to thicken up into a sauce when they're cooked (without the need of thickeners like
roux). All of these make them ideal for simple and appealing sauces.
The simplest tomato sauces consist just of chopped tomato flesh (with the skins and seeds optionally removed), cooked in a little
olive oil and
simmered until it loses its raw flavour, and seasoned with
salt.
Water (or another, more flavorful liquid such as
stock or
wine) is often added to keep it from drying out too much.
Onion and
garlic are almost always
sweated or sauteed at the beginning before the tomato is added. Other seasonings typically include
basil,
oregano,
parsley, and possibly some spicy red
pepper or
black pepper. Ground or chopped meat is also common.
Mexican tomato sauces
Tomato sauce was an ancient condiment in
Aztec Indian food. The first person to write of what may have been a tomato sauce was Bernardino de Sahagún who made note of a prepared sauce that was offered for sale in the markets of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City today). Then, Spaniards brought the use of tomato to Europe.
Basic Mexican tomato sauces are: tomato sauce (salsa de tomate rojo o jitomate) and
green tomato sauce (salsa de tomate verde).
The tomato sauce is stock for spicy sauces and
moles.
Italian tomato sauces
The tomato has been central to
Italian cuisine since its introduction from the Americas. Outside of Italy, this perception can be quite exaggerated: many people know little of Italian cuisine beyond pasta with tomato sauce. Italian varieties of tomato sauce range from
Puttanesca sauce, seasoned with
anchovies,
capers,a bit of
garlic,
chili peppers and black
olives, to
Bolognese sauce, a predominantly ground-meat sauce which normally contains a small-to-moderate amount of tomato. Most often, Italian tomato sauces can be switched with more authentic white sauces;
cavatelli is best served with traditional Italian white sauces (consisting of mostly fresh
parmesan and
cream), and many other traditional ingredients. Some Italian Americans on the
East Coast refer to tomato sauce as "gravy", or "tomato gravy", especially sauces with a large quantity of meat simmered in them, similar to the Italian
Neapolitan ragù. "Gravy" is the literal English translation from the Italian
sugo which means sauce.
Marinara is a US-American-Italian term for a simple tomato sauce with herbs—mostly parsley and basil—but, contrary to its name (which is Italian for
coastal, seafaring) without anchovies, fish or seafood. In countries other than the
United States, however, marinara refers to a seafood and tomato sauce.
American supermarkets commonly carry a variety of prepared tomato sauces described as "spaghetti sauce". Common variations include meat sauce, marinara sauce and sauces with mushrooms or sweet red peppers.
Indian tomato sauces
Indian
curry, especially as it has been exported out of India, is recognizable for heavily spiced sauces, often made from a tomato base.
Louisiana Cajun and Louisiana Creole tomato sauces
A spicy tomato sauce known as
sauce piquante is common in
Louisiana Cajun cuisine, that can contain any seafood, poultry, or meats such as wild game. It is typically served over white rice. In
Louisiana Creole cuisine, there's a tomato sauce known as a creole sauce. It is similar to Italian tomato sauce, but features more Louisiana flavors derived from the fusion of French and Spanish cooking styles. They both usually contain the traditional
holy trinity of diced
bell pepper, onion, and
celery.
Tomato gravy
Tomato gravy, which is distinct from the term as used by northeastern Italian Americans when referring to tomato sauce, is a
gravy common in most rural areas where tomatoes were a
staple food. Tomato gravy is prepared in a method similar to
white gravy. The cooked tomatoes, some fat (usually cured pork fat) and flour are cooked together until thick, and
seasoned with
salt and
pepper. Typically, tomato gravy is served over
eggs,
toast and
biscuits.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Tomato Sauce'.
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