By: J.Patterson
Sweet, salty, spiked. Not nonna’s alla vodka—and definitely not that jar from upstate New York. This one’s your go-to for literally everything.
We use this sauce for everything: little soup sippers (grilled cheese, here we come), quick pasta, the base for a super fresh, deeply savoury lasagne that definitely strays from the classic—and, yes, even as scratch “ketchup.” I put it on a burger bun last night and it was pure gold.
It’s creamy (though there’s no cream—it’s naturally vegan), a full-on umami bomba, sweet (but no added sugar, unlike those old-school recipes trying to mask acidity), and salty and satisfying even without cheese—though go ahead: pile on the pecorino romano, layer it with burrata, pour it over chicken if that’s your thing. I mean—it all works. And oh, it works so well.
Like all our recipes, it’s ridiculously simple on paper, but the result of years of tinkering. The one non-negotiable? Tomatoes. Never tinned. Always fresh, in-season, and aromatic. Quality really counts here.
We make big batches in late July and August, aiming to jar or freeze enough to carry us through winter and spring. But hey, if that feels a bit grandma-core, we get it. Just promise you’ll use fresh tomatoes—even if they’re store-bought and imported. Skip the hothouse ones (they’re nothing special). Smell before you buy: if they don’t smell like anything raw, they won’t taste like anything cooked.
We use around 3–4 kg of mixed tomatoes for this, each kind bringing something different to the pot:
Oxheart – silky flesh, minimal seeds
Roma/San Marzano-type – meaty and rich, perfect for sauce body
Strawberry, plum, or cherry – natural sweetness and concentrated flavour
The oxhearts we use are heirloom or heritage varieties, and we grow ours organically. When the garden can’t keep up, we bring in early-season crates from Italy. We’ve talked to cooks in Greece, Poland, and Italy—and across the board, they agree: the best sauces start with peak-season tomatoes, preferably heirloom.
(Just ask Dr. Kavvadia in Corfu. We got a peek behind the scenes at his estate while he was whipping up a batch of his signature tomato sauce—and sure enough, in his organic kitchen, oxheart tomatoes were the star of the show too.)
A splash—or three—of vodka. It’s subtle but essential: binds flavour, carries aroma, rounds everything out. No, it doesn’t taste like vodka. But yes, you’ll notice if it’s missing.
Use wheat-distilled organic vodka if you can—potato-based tends to hit a bit too hard here.
Yields: ~1.5 to 2 litres of sauce (depending on tomato variety and reduction)
Ingredients:
3–4 kg / 6.5- 9 lbs fresh, ripe tomatoes
(ideally a mix: oxheart, roma/Lima, and strawberry, plum, or cherry types)
1–2 medium onions, sliced
3–5 tbsp good quality olive oil
2–3 glugs balsamic vinegar
60–90 ml / 2-3 ounces vodka
Salt, to taste
Optional:
crushed pink peppercorns, fresh herbs, chili flakes, or a small splash of water, if needed to loosen
Preheat the oven: Set it to 235°C (455°F).
Prep tomatoes Rinse, core, and chop them. Put on trays with baking paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss gently.
Roast for 20–30 minutes until they look a bit dry and start to brown on the edges.
Tip: You’ll need 3–4 trays, if not more. Roast in batches if they don’t all fit.
Cook the onions: In a big pan, heat some olive oil. Add sliced onions and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft. Then add balsamic vinegar, vodka, and pepper (if using). Let it cook off for 3–5 minutes.
Blend the sauce until smooth. Add salt and pink pepper if you like.
Optional: Strain if you want it super smooth or remove any tomato skin bits.
Store or use: Use right away, or jar and preserve while hot (sterilized jars + lids, hot fill, then waterbath). You can also let it cool and freeze in portions.
In the fridge: It keeps for 3–5 days in closed jars.
