How to Make Tomato Sugo

Sugo di pomodoro translates to tomato sauce -- traditionally a rough, slow-roasted tomato sauce. Although there are many styles of tomato sauce available -- ranging from a thin tomato puree to a hearty tomato stew -- a sugo generally falls somewhere in between. By slowly cooking the tomatoes with seasonings and aromatics, you create a rich, flavorful sauce that highlights the natural flavors within the tomato. Rich in vitamins C, A, B, and potassium, iron, fiber and phosphorus, tomatoes (or tomato sugo) are a healthy addition to any meal.

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  Clean Your Tomatoes tomatoes on branch with water drops image by Nikolay Okhitin from Fotolia.com

  Prep your ingredients first. Wash the teardrop (or cherry) tomatoes, clean the garlic cloves and smash them to release the oils, and pick your herbs. Prepare enough extra virgin olive oil and a medium-sized sauce pot (or larger depending on how much sugo you intend to make).

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  Put tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and herbs into the medium-sized sauce pot. Set on low heat and bring everything up to temperature together.

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  Cook at an extremely low temperature (about 210 degrees Fahrenheit) for about two to three hours. This slow-roasting process allows the water to evaporate from the tomatoes and garlic, creating a more concentrated flavor.

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  Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Mix your sugo, crushing some of the tomatoes in the process, but still leaving a rough, hearty tomato "sauce."

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  Add chili flakes or an Italian cheese (Parmesan, pecorino, asiago, ricotta) for some extra flavor. Mix throughout.

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  Serve as desired. Tomato sugo can be used as a sauce, condiment, on sandwiches, with small appetizers, or as an accompaniment to a complete meal.