Pancetta & Cherry Tomato Sauce
Silky, deep red and brimming with flavour - this comforting sauce brings a little nonna style magic to any mid-week pasta dish.
If there’s one thing that’s on a weekly rota in our house - it’s this chunky tomato sauce. And despite a (very subtle) roll of the eye when I announce it’s on the menu for dinner, everyone tucks into it with vigour, mouths stained red as garlicky fingers swoop bread through the remnants of the pan.
I had the most fun with this in the summer when the tomato plants burst into action on our allotment. Granted, some were destroyed by blight (it wasn’t the best year) but those that swerved the curse were gleefully brought home in buckets, their heady sweet scent filling the kitchen like masters of flavour begging to showcase their magic in a tart, gazpacho or, this sauce…
Invariably you can get some pretty good homemade sauces in stores and delis these days, but of all the ones I’ve tried, none of them quite meet the mark of a good homemade sauce. There’s always something lacking a little. And you get way more bang for your buck when you make it with a few good ingredients at home.
Anyway, I digress. Back to the sauce! There are 4 things that I think are key to getting a better depth of flavour:-
Good quality ingredients. This is a simple recipe that demands good garlic, sweet shallots and a decent tomato sauce.
Prep. Get ahead and make it in advance. The longer you leave it, the better the flavour. I like to make it in the morning for dinner that night.
Cook lower for longer. I once heard Angela Hartnett profess that the best way to get a great tomato sauce is to cook it 'as low and for as long as possible'. And I concur! Once you have everything fired up, turn the gas right down, pop a lid on and let everything simmer together for a good 30 minutes. It really does make a difference to the resulting flavour.
Roast the tomatoes. The extra flavour wins a roasted tomato brings is second to none. Don't be tempted to skip this bit!
INGREDIENTS:
500g cherry tomatoes
400g Italian Passata (I use Mutti)
70g Italian Diced Pancetta
60g double concentrated tomato puree
3 shallots, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp chilli flakes
a dash of paprika
2 tbsp black bean chilli sauce (alt use chilli oil or olive oil with some diced red chilli)
2 fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced
400-500g water
Salt and pepper to season
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 190C
Tip the cherry tomatoes into a small roasting dish and add the black bean chilli oil, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Shake the dish gently to combine everything and put in the oven to roast for around 25 minutes. They are done when they are steaming, bubbling and a little blistered on the top.
Whilst the tomatoes are roasting, add some olive oil to a hot pan and tip in the pancetta, cooking until nice and golden. Add the red onion and shallots and cook until translucent, moving everything around for a good 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes, then tip in the chill flakes and give everything another season.
Stir in the tomato paste, then tip in the hot tomatoes from the oven (juices included). Turn the heat down a bit and let everything simmer together for 2-3 minutes.
Add the passata, then fill the passata jar up with water and add that to the pan.
Let the sauce come to a gentle boil, then turn the heat right down and let it simmer for a good 20 minutes, lid on.
Taste and add a final dash of seasoning. Then switch off the heat and leave the pan on the hob for a few hours to let the flavours really settle in, reheating (or storing in the fridge/freezer until ready to eat).
Enjoy with freshly cooked pasta and a really good parmigiano, garlic bread on the side for dipping!
