Batch Cooked Tomato + Vegetable Sauce

Batch Cooked Tomato + Vegetable Sauce

This makes enough for at least four meals for a family of four. Packed with vegetables, it’s a rich, versatile tomato sauce that’s perfect for things like pasta, lasagne, fish, meat or potatoes. When I make it, I prepare a very large batch using this recipe. Then I use some, freeze some and refrigerate the rest for use during that same week. You can substitute other vegetables if you have them or want to use them up, but firmer, root vegetables work best - or things like broccoli stems. You really do need a food processor for this recipe, to get the veggies chopped nice and small for the sauce. You don’t want them totally pulverized (unless hiding them completely is a necessity for you). I do them so the sauce is smooth overall but with a chunky texture.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon grass-fed ghee

1 large onion

6 garlic cloves, peeled

4 large or 6 medium carrots, peeled

4 large or 6 medium stems of celery

1 celeriac, peeled

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

1 x 690g jar passata

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon dried mixed herbs

1 cup bone broth (recipe here)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 bay leaves

4 Tablespoons tomato puree

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon blackstrap molassas

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or pink Himalayan salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup chopped, fresh parsley and/or chopped, fresh basil

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (the best you have as this adds extra flavour at the end)

Instructions

I use a pressure cooker for this recipe. It would also work in a large saucepan, but you would need to cook it for longer to make sure the vegetables have softened enough and the sauce has taken on the same richness.

Melt the ghee in the pressure cooker or saucepan on a medium heat.

Process the onion in the food processor (I use a Magimix) until very finely chopped. Add to the pan and fry for a few minutes. Process the garlic cloves in the food processor and leave for a few minutes while you stir the onion.

Add the garlic to the pan. Stir in for a few minutes.

Process the celery stalks in the food processor until they are very fine chunks. Add to the pan and stir.

Process the carrots and celeriac until they are also very finely processed (but not liquidized). Add them to the pan and stir all the vegetables together.

Add the dried oregano, dried mixed herbs and smoked paprika.

Add the chopped tomatoes, passata, bone broth, tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, blackstrap molasses, salt and pepper. Stir well.

Poke the bay leaves into the sauce and put the lid on the pressure cooker.

Cook according to your pressure cooker’s instructions for 20 minutes on high, or for around 60 minutes on a low simmer with the lid on in a standard large saucepan.

Once you are sure the vegetables are cooked through and the sauce has taken on richness and reduced slightly, remove from the heat.

Add the chopped fresh herbs (parsley and/or basil), extra virgin olive oil and season to taste again if necessary.