Pomodoro Sauce

Fresh Tomato Sauce Sugo di Pomodoro Pressure Cooker

Fresh Tomato Sauce Sugo Di Pomodoro Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

Makes 4 cups, enough for 1 pound pasta – Cooker: 5- to 8-quart – Time: 8 minutes at HIGH pressure

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ cup chopped yellow or white onion (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 pounds ripe, fresh tomatoes (12 to 15 large), coarsely chopped, with juices
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• few grinds freshly ground black pepper.
• 1 large pinch sugar, if needed
• 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped or torn fresh basil, to taste

Method

1. In a 5- to 8-quart pressure cooker, heat the oil over medium-high heat
2. Add the onion if using and cook, stirring a few times, until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes
3. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds
4. Add the tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, and sugar
5. Stir to combine
6. Close and lock the lid
7. If you like, place a heat diffuser on the burner and the pressure cooker on the diffuser
8. Set the burner heat to high
9. When the cooker reaches HIGH pressure, reduce the burner heat as low as you can and still maintain HIGH pressure
10. Set a timer to cook for 8 minutes
11. Remove the pot from the heat
12. Open the cooker with the Natural Release method; let stand for 15 minutes
13. Be careful of the steam as you remove the lid
14. Season to taste with salt and pepper
15. If it’s not thick enough for you, simmer, uncovered, over medium heat until it reaches the desired thickness
16. Remove from the heat
17. When cool enough to handle, ladle into a food mill set over a deep bowl to remove the skins and seeds
18. If using immediately, stir in the basil
19. If storing, let cool completely and transfer to an airtight container; it will keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 2 months
20. Stir in the basil right before serving