If you are looking for me, I'll be in a corner eating this with a large spoon.
Tomato Sauce with Chorizo
160 g carrot - minced in food processor
160 g celery - minced in a food processor
200 g onions - chopped by hand
200 g Spanish (hard) chorizo - cubed
2 1/2 T tomato paste
4 T red pesto
25 g minced garlic
3 cans whole tomatoes - 1,275 g in total (each can rinsed halfway)
700 ml herbed passata (tomato purée) (also rinsed halfway)
2 - 2 1/2 c red wine
s&p
1 T butter
4 T olive oil
herbs if desired for garnish
In a hot pan, sauté the chorizo on a low to medium low heat until they begin to crisp up and let most of their liquid fat out. This can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the pan. the trick is - slow and steady wins the race...
Once finished they should be a little crispy on the outside but not fully hard on the inside. Scoop the meat out onto a plate or bowl without any absorbent paper underneath and leave all the fat behind in the pan.
Add to that pan, the carrots, celery, onions s&p. Cook on medium heat with the chorizo fat and covered with a lid for about 5 minutes. Stir often. Then add the garlic and cook for another 3. Again, stir often and always replace the lid. Let any liquid fall back into the pan that sticks on the inside of the lid. Add the tomato paste, red pesto, butter and olive oil. Cook while stirring for about 2-3 minutes. Turn up the heat and once sizzling, then you can add half of the wine. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, passata purée and the rest of the wine. Mix it well. Add the halfway rinsed out cans/jars and mix again. Once boiling, simmer with a lid for 20-30 minutes on low. This must only simmer and not boil over. Then remove the lid and set aside, add the chorizo back to the pan and use a spatula to get all the fat drippings back in the pan. Now cook the sauce for 10-15 minutes or until it reduces just a smidge and the sauce is just a little less watery. Season well before serving and add any fresh herbs you prefer such as basil, parsley or rosemary, if desired.