Salsa Finta

This is my simple basic, tomato sauce. It’s is lighter than most marinara sauces because you don’t use onions or fry the garlic.  Salsa Finta translates to “False sauce”.   In Sicily it was considered  false or fake because there is no meat in it.  The recipe comes from my great grandmother.   This is another quick sauce that can be finished in 20 minutes, tops.  It’s oh so simple, and oh so good.  Kids love it!

Take two cloves of garlic and slice thinly.

Pour tomato puree into a small to medium sized pot.  You can also use canned peeled tomatoes, but make sure to crush them in the pot, so you don’t have big chunks of tomato.

Add the sliced garlic, salt, pepper and a teaspoon of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, making sure to stir and monitor frequently. You just want to reduce the sauce.  If you reduce it too low, you can add a tablespoon of water.  Cook for 10-15 minutes on medium low heat.

After 10-15 minutes of cooking, turn off the heat and add a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Take a couple of basil leaves,  tear into small pieces and add to the sauce.  That’s it!

It goes great on pasta or as a basic tomato sauce that you can use for many recipes.

Tools needed:

1 small saucepan

Ingredients:

one 24 – 32 oz bottle of pureed tomatoes, or a large can of peeled tomatoes.

2 cloves of garlic

2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

a couple of leaves of fresh basil

Cooking method:

Pour the bottle or can of tomatoes into a small saucepan.  If you add canned tomatoes, make sure they are peeled tomatoes and that you crush them so you don’t have big chunks in your sauce.  Add 2 cloves of sliced garlic, salt, pepper and a teaspoon of sugar.  Bring to a boil and reduce. Continue to cook for 10-15 minutes.  Make sure to stir every once in a while. Do not overcook.  After the sauce has reduced down, turn off the heat and add about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and small pieces of fresh basil  (the basil is optional).   Serves 4.  Enjoy!