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1
Put the tomatoes through a food mill, using the medium blade, or a colander or sieve, set over a bowl.
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2
If youre sieving the tomatoes through a sieve or colander, push the flesh through, scraping against the sieve to extract all the pulp and juice.
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3
Put chopped onion, carrot, and celery pieces in the food processor and pulse several times, until you have very finely chopped small shreds.
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4
Or chop the pieces by hand into tiny bits.
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5
Pour the oil into the sauce pot, stir in the chopped vegetables, and set over medium-high heat.
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6
Sprinkle on the salt.
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7
Cook for 3 minutes or so, stirring frequently, as the vegetables start to sizzle and soften; dont let them brown.
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8
Pour the milled tomatoes and juices into the pan, and stir with the vegetables.
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9
Rinse out the bowl and the tomato cans with the water, and pour this into the saucepan as well.
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10
Stir in the bay leaves, honey, and peperoncino, turn up the heat, cover, and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring and checking it frequently.
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11
Adjust the heat to maintain an active simmer, with lots of small bubbles all over the sauce.
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12
Cover, and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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13
Remove the cover; raise the heat so the sauce is still bubbling energetically and gradually reducing.
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14
Cook for another hour or so, stirring frequently to make sure nothings sticking to the bottom of the pot.
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15
Turn down the heat as the sauce thickens (and if the bubbles are bursting out of the pot).
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16
Taste for salt near the end of cooking, and add more if needed.
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17
When the sauce has reduced by about a quarter and is concentrated but still pourable, remove from the heat.
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18
Let the sauce cool; remove the bay leaves.
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19
Allow the flavors to mellow for an hour or two.
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20
Use however much sauce you need immediately; refrigerate or freeze the rest.
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21
Pastas
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22
Gnocchi
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23
Baked pastas
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24
Non-pasta dishes (such as the skillet meat gratinati, pages 281 to 287)
