Once you’ve chosen the proper tomatoes, grab a food mill — never a food processor. “I don’t put them in the processor because, in the processor, it accumulates too much air and loses a little bit of the redness,” Bastianich continued to Tasting Table. Once your crushed tomatoes are complete, add a bit of water to the mixture, as well as peperoncino, Italy’s version of hot peppers, for the spicy kick here.
“All you need for this marinara sauce to cook is 20 minutes, and you get the fresh taste. You can put [in] a branch of basil. I put [it in], and then I pull it out,” Bastianich added. It’s important to note that tomato and marinara sauce are actually different entities, with tomato sauce being thicker and creamier than a traditional, thinner marinara sauce.
Although the cookbook author describes herself as a “traditionalist” when it comes to a spicy red sauce, she did say you can also use Tabasco to upgrade your spice game. It all comes down to your taste buds and how much heat you can handle.
