Sun-Dried Tomato Spaghetti Sauce

This pasta sauce gets its deep, concentrated tomato flavor from combining oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes with canned whole tomatoes. The sun-dried tomatoes bring an intense, almost smoky sweetness that regular tomatoes alone can’t deliver, and their packing oil becomes the cooking fat for the whole sauce.

A classic soffritto of onion, celery, carrot, and garlic sautees for a full 15 minutes in that reserved oil, building a savory vegetable base before the tomatoes and white wine go in. An hour of uncovered simmering reduces everything into a thick, rich sauce. Then a few pulses in the food processor gives it a chunky-smooth texture, not a puree, but not chunky either.

Fennel seeds are the quiet ingredient here. They add a subtle anise-like warmth that’s typical of Italian sausage seasonings, giving this meatless sauce a savory depth that makes you forget there’s no meat.

Chef Tips

• Reserve the sun-dried tomato oil and use it as directed. That oil is infused with concentrated tomato flavor and is far better than plain olive oil here.
• Saute the soffritto a full 15 minutes. Rushing it means raw vegetable flavors in the finished sauce.
• Pulse the sauce in the food processor, don’t blend it smooth. You want a chunky, rustic texture with visible pieces, not baby food.
• Simmer uncovered to let moisture evaporate and the sauce concentrate. Cover it and you’ll end up with tomato soup.

Variations

• Spicy arrabbiata: Add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes with the fennel seeds for a sauce with real heat.
• Italian sausage: Brown crumbled Italian sausage and stir it into the finished sauce for a meaty version.
• Roasted garlic: Roast a whole head of garlic and squeeze the softened cloves into the sauce before pulsing for a sweeter, mellower garlic flavor.