The other day, while browsing a cookbook i saw the word Sugo and suddenly it all came flooding back. This devine sauce we used to make at one restaurant i worked at.
I used to make it by the pot full. And whatever special we would put it with would go flying out the door. And by god its easy! Not to mention the complexity achieved by these simple flavors.
Roast garlic and tomato. An absolute classic, i know. But with a little technique, patience and almost no effort, this raunchy sauce, can now be yours.
Let me tell you a little about it. The key is in the pan-roasting of the garlic. Most tomato sauces call for finely sliced garlic and diced onion to be sauteed gently until soft and sweet. Not so here. What we want is robust, bold flavors drawn from the deeply golden roast garlic.
The color will be a rich red, assertive. Passionate.
When you think of a sprawling Italian vineyard, a wild drunken bonfire and too many glasses of local wine you should too be envisioning a big bowl of pasta tossed in this sexy sauce. And when you wake up in the haybarn the next morning, a little hungover, you will be supremely happy to know that plenty of leftovers await in the rustic farmhouse nearby.
Ah, the places that food can take you. We may not all have sprawling Italian Vineyards, but what we do have, ladies and gentlemen, is this sauce.
6-8 cloves of whole peeled garlic
800gm tin of whole Italian tomatoes
150ml olive oil
Flake salt
Castor sugar
Freshly ground pepper
Pasta or gnocchi to serve
Place the oil and garlic in a heavy based sauce pan on a medium to high heat. And don't be tempted to skimp on the amount of oil. This will become infused with the garlic and flavor your sauce. It is necessary. Just use a good cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Healthier and tastier. Everybody wins.
Bring to the heat and don't walk away. Slowly the garlic will begin to color. Toss the cloves occasionally to maintain an even color. Once they are deep golden and the whole kitchen smells of heaven dump in your tinned tomatoes. Careful, it will spit as they hit the oil. Stir well, turn down the heat as low as it will go and leave it alone.
It needs to cook for a good 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Find something to occupy yourself and come give it a stir every 20 min or so. Set a timer if need be.
Once it has reduced by about half taste it. Is it rich and a garlicky? Get your blitzer ready.
Remove from the heat and blitz till smooth with a stick blender or a kitchen aid. Season with a little salt and pepper and then add the sugar, one spoon at a time, tasting as you go. You just want to balance the acidity.
Toss through pasta, Casanova's gnocchi, or for something a little different pour some sugo into a rameking, place a slice of goats cherve in the middle and pop it in the oven for 5-6 minutes or until golden and bubbling and serve it as a funky little fondue with a side of lightly toasted bread.
And do me a favor. If you are eating this with spaghetti or linguing, tuck a napkin into your collar and slurp. Keep a napkin handy and a small side of humor.
Don't forget that food is fun. Enjoy.
I used to make it by the pot full. And whatever special we would put it with would go flying out the door. And by god its easy! Not to mention the complexity achieved by these simple flavors.
Roast garlic and tomato. An absolute classic, i know. But with a little technique, patience and almost no effort, this raunchy sauce, can now be yours.
Let me tell you a little about it. The key is in the pan-roasting of the garlic. Most tomato sauces call for finely sliced garlic and diced onion to be sauteed gently until soft and sweet. Not so here. What we want is robust, bold flavors drawn from the deeply golden roast garlic.
The color will be a rich red, assertive. Passionate.
When you think of a sprawling Italian vineyard, a wild drunken bonfire and too many glasses of local wine you should too be envisioning a big bowl of pasta tossed in this sexy sauce. And when you wake up in the haybarn the next morning, a little hungover, you will be supremely happy to know that plenty of leftovers await in the rustic farmhouse nearby.
Ah, the places that food can take you. We may not all have sprawling Italian Vineyards, but what we do have, ladies and gentlemen, is this sauce.
6-8 cloves of whole peeled garlic
800gm tin of whole Italian tomatoes
150ml olive oil
Flake salt
Castor sugar
Freshly ground pepper
Pasta or gnocchi to serve
Place the oil and garlic in a heavy based sauce pan on a medium to high heat. And don't be tempted to skimp on the amount of oil. This will become infused with the garlic and flavor your sauce. It is necessary. Just use a good cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Healthier and tastier. Everybody wins.
Bring to the heat and don't walk away. Slowly the garlic will begin to color. Toss the cloves occasionally to maintain an even color. Once they are deep golden and the whole kitchen smells of heaven dump in your tinned tomatoes. Careful, it will spit as they hit the oil. Stir well, turn down the heat as low as it will go and leave it alone.
It needs to cook for a good 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Find something to occupy yourself and come give it a stir every 20 min or so. Set a timer if need be.
Once it has reduced by about half taste it. Is it rich and a garlicky? Get your blitzer ready.
Remove from the heat and blitz till smooth with a stick blender or a kitchen aid. Season with a little salt and pepper and then add the sugar, one spoon at a time, tasting as you go. You just want to balance the acidity.
Toss through pasta, Casanova's gnocchi, or for something a little different pour some sugo into a rameking, place a slice of goats cherve in the middle and pop it in the oven for 5-6 minutes or until golden and bubbling and serve it as a funky little fondue with a side of lightly toasted bread.
And do me a favor. If you are eating this with spaghetti or linguing, tuck a napkin into your collar and slurp. Keep a napkin handy and a small side of humor.
Don't forget that food is fun. Enjoy.
