Sugo

Sugo

This classic Italian tomato sauce forms the basis for many pasta dishes and also pizzas.

Although most Italians agree on the basic ingredients of sugo (tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, salt and pepper), you can be sure that they will argue about the correct way of making salsa di pomodoro. The argument will cover the choice of tomato variety, the quantity of onions and garlic and the type of basil and is certain to involve a discussion about the cooking time. Sugo in Italian means juice or sauce and each region has its own special ingredients that must be included.

For the basic sauce you need a kilo of ripe, aromatic, firm-fleshed plum tomatoes with a low acid content, one onion and one clove of garlic and two fresh basil stems with the leaves removed. Peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic and fry them gently in two tablespoons of olive oil, but do not allow them to colour. Now add the washed and finely chopped tomatoes and basil stems. Leave the sauce to simmer uncovered over a medium heat for around an hour. Pour it through a sieve and then reduce it a little more. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sugar. You can then spread the sauce on dough to make a pizza margherita. If you are using it to accompany pasta, stir in the finely chopped basil leaves just before serving.

That’s the mandatory part, now for the optional extras. You can add finely chopped vegetables (for example, carrots, parsley root, celeriac, celery or leeks) to the onions and garlic to give the sauce a more complex flavour. Herbs such as oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, marjoram, sage, tarragon, mint, lovage, juniper berries, capers, cloves or chervil add a special touch. Wine and/or vegetable stock give hints of fruit and additional substance to the flavour of the sauce.

Text: Rainer Meier