I usually make a vat of tomato sauce a few times a year, freeze it in pint jars in my freezer and have it to hand whenever needed. Since becoming an apartment dweller this has been more difficult as my freezer space has dwindled along with my square footage. This week I planned on making spaghetti with meatballs and cooking a gorgeous tomato sauce for several hours over low heat, slowly allowing the tomatoey goodness to absorb all the lovely flavors that I had infused it with before dropping in fragrant balls of veal, pork and beef mixed with Parmesan and basil. Queue to 7pm when I looked up from my desk remembering that dinner was due and that, not only did I need to make it, I should have started it sometime in the afternoon.
Obviously it is easy to conjure up an easy tomato sauce that takes no time and, while that is good in its own right, what I was craving was the umami rich flavor of a long-cooked tomato sauce enhanced with meaty juices. So I improvised.
I made my meatballs (recipe to follow at some point as they are truly delicious) and then having browned them on all sides, made my tomato sauce directly in the pan so as to make use of all the crisp meats and juices, enhanced by my umami rich secret weapon.
2 cups strained tomatoes, such as the Pomi brand ones in the Tetrapak
1/2 cup chopped basil leaves + 1/4 more for the garnish
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 Tbsp Marmite
Salt and pepper to taste
Add the shallots to the pan containing the meatballs, under which you have lowered the heat to as low as it will go. Add 1 Tbsp of water or red wine and stir constantly, scrapping the bottom of the pan to dislodge all the crisp and brown bits which will flavor the sauce and to start the process of softening the shallots.
As soon as the pan juices are prepared, add the garlic cloves, basil and tomatoes and allow to cook until the meatballs are cooked through, stirring from time to time to ensure the sauce doesn't stick. Depending on how much you have browned them and how low your heat can go, this can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. Anyway, because the meatballs are a combination of three juicy meats with the addition of loads of grated Parmesan, even a bit of overcooking will not dry these out.
After 10 minutes, add the Marmite and stir well until melted. You will not taste the Marmite in the sauce but it will bring huge amounts of umami richness to the sauce, which you would normally get by cooking and reducing tomatoes for a long time.
Salt and pepper to taste and you are good to go.
I have used Marmite in the past in stews and in meat pies but had an "ah-ha" moment about adding it to my tomato sauce when I was riffling through my pantry looking for inspirational ingredients that would take my quick tomato sauce to the next level. Buy a small jar. You may not like it on buttered toast as L. and I do but it does serve as a wonderful flavor enhancer when you need some additional richness or sense of meatiness in a dish.