Casa M Slow-Cooked Red Gravy (Pasta Sauce).
Six hours in a low oven transforms whole tomatoes and mushrooms into a sauce with real depth and serious backbone
Six hours in a low oven transforms whole tomatoes and mushrooms into a sauce with real depth and serious backbone
Ingredients
Ingredients
- FOR THE GRAVY:
- 112 ounces whole peeled tomatoes, preferably imported D.O.P. San Marzano tomatoes (that's 4 each 28 oz cans), after crushing in step 1 below reserve 3 cups for finishing the sauce.
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for finishing
- 16 ounces portobello mushrooms, diced
- 16 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons Casa M Spice Co™ Uncontrolled Chain Reaction™
- 1 Tablespoon Casa M Spice Co™ Cattle Drive™
- 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped finely
- 1 medium carrot, broken in half
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large stem of fresh basil leaves
- 3/4 cup (total) mixed minced fresh parsley, oregano, thyme, and basil leaves
Method
-
01
Preheat oven to 275°F
15 minAdjust rack to fit Dutch oven with lid.
-
02
Crush tomatoes and reserve 3 cups
10 minSqueeze by hand into pieces no larger than 1/2 inch.
-
03
Dice mushrooms and onion, mince garlic
12 minCrush those tomatoes by hand right into the pot—you want some texture left, not a purée. Get your mushrooms and aromatics prepped while the heat comes up so nothing sticks or burns once the oil gets hot.
-
04
Sauté mushrooms and onion until fragrant
8 minCook over medium heat until they release liquid.
-
05
Add garlic and cook until softened
3 minStir often; do not brown.
-
06
Add spices and oregano, cook until fragrant
1 minLet that spice blend and oregano toast for just a minute until you get a deep, warm aroma—that's when you know the volatile oils are waking up and your sauce is about to get serious flavor.
-
07
Add tomatoes, carrot, basil and bring to simmer
5 minUse crushed tomatoes from step 2, add basil stem last.
-
08
Bake covered at 275°F for 6 hours
360 minLid slightly ajar; stir once every 2 hours.
-
09
Discard carrot and basil, add reserved tomatoes
3 minStir in that reserved tomato juice to loosen everything up and bring the heat down to a gentle simmer; you'll see the color deepen and the sauce relax as it all comes together.
-
10
Season and stir in fresh herbs and olive oil
2 minTaste and adjust seasoning generously.
From Mike's Notebook
Reserve those 3 cups of tomatoes before cooking—they finish the sauce fresh, cutting through six hours of deepened flavors.
Keep the lid just ajar while baking; traps steam but lets excess moisture escape so the gravy concentrates.
Stir every two hours without fail—prevents sticking on the bottom and ensures even, slow extraction from the mushrooms.