In summer time, the tomatoes are as fat and sumptuous as the days are long and sultry. There is thus little excuse to use tomatoes out of a can or box. I don’t care if you paid $100 to have them shipped from some small village in Modena, Italy. Fresh, local tomatoes–when in season–always beat out the fancy schmancy stuff they seal into jars. This easy, peasy vegan recipe for my red sauce with a spot of Korean spice will make you the goddess of your kitchen. A couple jars of this in your fridge, and you’ll be whipping up all sorts of dishes (pasta, stews, soups, sauces) in minutes.
Spaghetti happens to be one of my favorite foods of all time. I honestly believe that I could actually be competitive in a spaghetti eating contest. It’s one of those foods that never leaves me feeling full. We use Jovial gluten free pasta in the KV Kitchen, and we love the stuff. It’s made entirely out of brown rice and to us, it tastes better than regular pasta.
One of the things I like about this sauce is that it’s not watery and flat like the stuff you find in the grocery store. The tomatoes retain some of their texture even after you blend them (especially if you use an immersion blender), and the carrots also give the sauce both a depth and brightness that makes you happy as you slurp your noodles. The texture also helps with the “sticky” factor–as in, the sauce doesn’t just slide off your noodles. The sauce cleaves to even the smoothest spaghetti, ensuring that each forkful is as delicious and satisfying as Nonna’s.
My Korean Vegan Red Sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup carrots chopped
- 2 tbsp gochujang*
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup white wine can substitute vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 6-7 ripe tomatoes chopped
Instructions
- Add olive oil to large sauce pot over medium high heat. Once oil begins to shimmer, add red onions and cook until they become translucent and soft. Next add garlic, carrots, Italian seasoning, pepper and salt.
- When veggies begin to brown (and the bottom of the pot begins to brown), add gochujang and stir until all veggies are evenly coated. Then, deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup of the white wine. Scrape up all the brown bits and cook over low heat until the liquid reduces.
- Add tomatoes and remaining white wine. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring to boil and then reduce heat to allow the tomatoes to simmer for at least 45 minutes.
- Once the tomatoes have broken down from cooking, remove from heat. Add contents of pot to a blender or blend with immersion blender to desired consistency. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Add sauce to cooked pasta of choice, together with some fresh basil.
