Chicken Parmesan with a side of spaghetti and garlic bread sounds like a meal that would have to be enjoyed at an Italian bistro, but you can have it on your table at home. One secret to creating a special dish is to make a homemade tomato sauce.
Prepare the Tomatoes
Look for a brilliant red color when you're selecting tomatoes. Light-colored tomatoes will be tart, and deep-colored tomatoes are on the verge of being over-ripe. Do not pick tomatoes with soft spots, bruises or large scabs.
Wash 12 ripe medium-sized tomatoes. Use cold water and rub your hands across the tomato skin to knock off any dirt and debris. Boil a pot of water, and plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for less than a minute. The skins will look loose and possibly crack open. Place them in a strainer and run cold water on them to cool. The tomatoes should slide out of their skins. Once peeled, cut out the stems and dice.
Ingredients
In addition to 4 cups of diced tomatoes, with juice, you will need 4 tbsp. olive oil, 2 small chopped onions and 2 garlic cloves, minced. If you are short of 4 cups of tomatoes, add some tomato juice. Your other ingredients include 4 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, 2 tsp. dried oregano, 4 bay leaves, 4 tbsp. tomato paste and 2 tbsp. sugar. You also will need some salt and pepper.
Cooking
Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and saute for two or three minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the minced garlic and saute for one minute. Stir in tomatoes, parsley, oregano, bay leaves, tomato paste, sugar, ¼ tsp. black pepper and ¼ tsp. salt. Bring the sauce to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The sauce should be reduced to about half.
Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper until you are happy with it. Fish out the bay leaves and discard. Your sauce is now ready to be used on your chicken Parmesan.
Tags: Chicken Parmesan, cold water, oregano leaves, salt pepper, tomato paste
