Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce

While I am so tired of the hot days here in Northern California, there has been one benefit – my tomatoes! Because of when we purchased our home, we got a late start on our garden. Ordinarily this could present a problem, but because we are still having 100° days, my tomatoes are doing beautifully! I picked about 5lbs of tomatoes in the last two days, and decided it was time to put them to good use, along with the items from my Farm Fresh to You shipment.  I love me some fresh organic produce! My mom has already used up her summer tomatoes for fresh salsa, so I decided to whip up a big batch of mom’s Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce. This stuff is incredible!

Because most people don’t grow all of the necessary produce for great eating and living, there is a neat option called Farm Fresh to You. You can customize a box of organic fruits and veggies, or opt for a pre-selected box. You can choose from a few different varieties, based on your needs. I selected the mixed fruit and veggie box, for a large assortment. They sent some beautiful tomatoes and onions to add to my homemade spaghetti sauce, which I plan to serve for dinner tonight with a side of steamed cauliflower. At under $50 for so much high quality produce, I think I will have my family eating great for at least the next week!

The way Farm Fresh to You works is that once you have selected the box you want for your family, you pick from a few different delivery dates. For me, it was on my doorstep when we got up in the morning. Then you can choose how often you want a shipment. Even better – if you use my referral code (EMIL7948) you can get $10 off your first order! Then when you refer your friends, they get $10 and you get $25 on your next shipment. Great referral program, and even better products.

So, whether you just want to make your house smell amazing, or you want to dive in with a spoon, homemade spaghetti sauce will do the trick. Toss in some noodles and meatballs and you’ve got a meal the whole family will love. 

Now don’t be intimated by this recipe, because while it does take a bit of time, fresh tomato spaghetti sauce really is quite easy. What could be the most difficult task is peeling the tomatoes, but if you blanch them, you won’t have any trouble at all. To do this, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then place the tomatoes in a strainer (preferably one that fits into the pot), and dip them into the scorching water. Only leave them in for a few seconds, and make sure the tomatoes get covered. If you leave them too long then they will begin to cook, and we don’t want that. We just want the skins to become tender enough to slide right off.

My pots are fairly old, so if you don’t already have a large pot with a strainer that fits, I highly recommend this 4-piece set by Cuisinart. You will be able to fit a lot of tomatoes in this 12-quarter steamer, which is fantastic because when making pasta sauce, it’s best to make in large batches. This set also comes with a steamer basket, for smaller batches of items. LOVE this set!

Take a vegetable knife and peel them tomaters. Honestly, the skins should slide right off just using your fingers, but the knife is good for digging out the tops. We only want the edible parts of the tomatoes here.

Chop up the peeled tomatoes, fresh basil, onions (I used red and yellow because it’s what I had on hand), mince the garlic, and you’ve got most of the job done.