Sugo di Pomodoro Fresco e Basilico
Using seasonal and simple ingredients, this classic dish celebrates the sweet, rich, and fresh flavours of summer tomatoes at their peak. There’s nothing quite like the aroma of freshly made sugo filling the kitchen. Buon appetito!
This recipe, along with many other authentic Sicilian dishes, is featured in the Cugini in Cucina Cookbook, co-written by Concetta Sultan and Caterina Di Franco. To grab your copy, DM Concetta via Concetta’s Italian Cooking Experience Facebook page or call 0432 169 620. Ciao! – Concetta xo
Photo – Danica Zuks
INGREDIENTS
- 2 kg fresh ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 4 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled and sliced
- 1 heaped tsp sugar
- 1 hot fresh chilli, sliced (optional)
- 2 tsp cooking salt
- 1 cup olive oil (good quality)
- 2 lge handfuls fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 500 gm spaghetti
- Parmesan cheese, grated (for serving)
METHOD
- Place the prepared tomatoes (and nothing else) into a large saucepan with the lid on.
- Cook for about 10–15 minutes on a high heat and bring to the boil, stirring regularly.
- Once boiling, cook for a further 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down into a liquid consistency with only small tomato chunks remaining.
- Add the garlic, chilli, salt, sugar, oil and half the basil, and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Continuing to stir regularly, reduce the heat to a simmer with the lid half on (so that the steam escapes) for about an hour, or until the sauce is cooked.
- The sauce will be ready when the liquid is reduced, and the sauce is rich.
- Bring salted water to the boil in a large saucepan and cook the spaghetti (as per packet instructions).
- Once the sauce is cooked, stir it through the cooked and drained spaghetti, and add the remaining fresh basil before serving.
TO SERVE
Serve hot, and top with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.
TIPS
If you prefer your sauce less runny and a thicker consistency, then cook for a further 20–30 minutes, but make sure to keep an eye on it, so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Cooking it for longer will result in a richer and sweeter sauce. Delicious!
For the best and sweetest sauce results, buy the ripest tomatoes you can find, even if they’re soft.
