Ingredients

makes about 3 1/2 cups, enough for 1 pound dried pasta or 1 1/2 pounds fresh

　　3 pounds ripe fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded, or one 35-ounce can peeled Italian tomatoes, seeded and lightly crushed, with their liquid

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

　　1/4 cup finely shredded peeled carrot

　　1/4 cup finely chopped celery, including leaves

　　4 fresh bay leaves, or 2 dried bay leaves

　　Kosher salt to taste

　　Peperoncino flakes to taste

　　

Step 1

Pass the tomatoes through a food mill fitted with the fine disk. Heat the oil in a 2- or 3-quart non-reactive saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the carrot and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Add the food-milled tomatoes and the bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Season lightly with salt and peperoncino. Once it’s boiling, lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Remove the bay leaves. Taste, and season with salt and peperoncino if necessary.

　　Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Copyright © 2009 Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Lidia Mattichio Bastianich is the author of four previous books, three of them accompanied by nationally syndicated public television series. She is the owner of the New York City restaurant Felidia (among others), and she lectures on and demonstrates Italian cooking throughout the country. She lives on Long Island, New York.Tanya Bastianich Manuali, Lidia’s daughter, received her Ph.D. in Renaissance history from Oxford University. Since 1996 she has led food/wine/art tours. She lives with her husband and children on Long Island.