What is Sinatras recipe for a quick Italian tomato sauce?
Frank Sinatra’s recipe for a simple tomato sauce is included as part of his recipe for eggplant parmigiana.
Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (14-1/2 ounce) can tomatoes, cut up
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 bay leaf
Tomato Sauce:
Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in oil in a large skillet until tender. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes or until desired consistency. Remove bay leaf and set aside.
While this sauce is meant to be used for the entire eggplant parmigiana recipe, it can also be used by itself as a simple marinara over pasta.
Recipe Source: The Sinatra Celebrity Cookbook, edited by Barbara & Frank Sinatra (Scientific American)
Frank Sinatra revealed this family recipe for an Italian tomato sauce (or is it a gravy?) to Philadelphia’s (and Sounds of Sinatra) Sid Mark several years ago. It is quite good, although you may want to add a pinch of sugar, if you prefer a slightly milder sauce. First you start with some olive oil and some garlic, four whole cloves. You heat the oil and add the garlic. Puncture the garlic with an ordinary fork so it exudes the flavor. When the garlic turns tan, turn off the oil and throw it out. Save the oil. Next you take two whole cans of the Italian plum tomatoes. Place the can in the blender and count to a slow four. Put the tomatoes into a large sauce pan. Add some basil, salt, pepper, oregano, and the oil. Bring the sauce to a boil. Skim the oil that rises to the top. Dip a piece of bread in the sauce testing to see when the sauce is finished. At the end you might want to add from fresh parsley. And there you have it-a good pasta sauce.
