Ingredients
Method
- Using your hands, remove peeled whole tomatoes from 2 796 mL cans and crush each one into a large bowl. Take a moment to remove any skins or tough tomato bits that might be floating around in the remaining liquid. Once removed transfer the tomato liquid to the bowl, then add 1/4 cup water to each can and swirl it around before dumping it to the same bowl. Set aside.
- Peel and thinly slice 10 cloves of garlic. In a thick-bottom pan or dutch oven heat 1/2 cup olive oil on medium. Once hot, add sliced garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, but not browned.
- Add 1/4 cup tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently until well-incorporated into the oil. Let cook on medium until slightly caramelized but not burnt, the tomato paste should take on a deeper red colour and start to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add in 1 heaping tbsp crushed Calabrian peppers and 1 tbsp whole fennel seeds. Give it a mix then let the flavours simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Finally, add in your crushed tomatoes and their juices. Season with a generous pinch of salt and bring to a rapid simmer, turn the heat to low and let it continue to simmer (a little gentler now) for 25-30 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, pulse the sauce to help smooth it out while still retaining it's rustic texture. The sauce will turn a lighter red colour and still have a few remaining chunks but should be mostly smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Notes
If you're making the sauce with my parmesan-packed meatballs, add the uncooked, shaped meatballs to the sauce after pouring in the crushed tomatoes and seasoning with salt. Make sure the meatballs are fully submerged in sauce, adding more water as needed. Once the meatballs are fully cooked and tender, remove and blend the sauce as instructed. You'll know the meatballs are fully cooked when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centre reads 165°F.