Saltsa Domata

January 24, 2022

Saltsa Domata - kvalifood.com

Saltsa domata is the basic Greek tomato sauce, used in moussaka, pastitsio, gemista (stuffed vegetables), and as a pasta sauce. What sets it apart from Italian tomato sauce is the warm spice backbone – a cinnamon stick and whole cloves simmer with the tomatoes, giving the sauce a subtle, distinctly Greek character.

Makes ca. 3 cups

Ingredients

800 g ripe tomatoes, halved and coarsely grated (discard skins), or 1 can (800 g) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (ca. 100 g), finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch sugar (optional, if tomatoes are acidic)

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and saute 3-4 minutes until softened and translucent.
Add the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes until it darkens slightly and coats the onion.
Add the tomatoes, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf, and oregano. Stir well.
Bring to a brief boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the raw tomato flavor has cooked out.
Season with salt, pepper, and sugar if needed. Remove the cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaf before using.

Notes

For moussaka and pastitsio, use as-is, layered into the dish before baking. A slightly thicker consistency works best.
For gemista (stuffed vegetables), thin with a splash of water and pour around the stuffed peppers or tomatoes.
For pasta, toss with spaghetti or bucatini and top with grated kefalotiri or pecorino.
Sweet wine variant: replace the tomato paste with 120 ml Mavrodaphne or sweet Marsala, added after sauteing the onion. Simmer 1 minute before adding tomatoes. This is the Cycladic island style.
Keeps 5-6 days refrigerated. Freezes well.
The cinnamon and cloves should be perceptible but not dominant.