Why trust a chef from Yorkshire for a recipe for Italian tomato sauce? Well Marco Pierre White is no ordinary Yorkshireman. He is half Italian as he will tell you any chance he get. And he was taught this recipe for Pomodoro sauce, tomato sauce by a three-star Michelin Italian chef and one of the very best to do it.

This recipe is not strictly Marco’s himself. He was taught it by Gaulitero Marchesi, a pioneering Italian chef often regarded as the father of modern Italian cuisine. He was the first Italian chef to earn three Michelin stars.

He’s been celebrated for blending traditional Italian flavours with contemporary techniques. Marchese’s influence extended by mentoring many, many chefs that went on to influence the rest of the world. And whilst his name isn’t that well-known outside of culinary circles, he really is one of those godfathers of Italian cuisine. Marco trained
under Marchesi for some time. This mentorship significantly impacted Marco’s culinary approach, giving him a deep appreciation for Italian cuisine and the importance of
innovation grounded in tradition.

Marco Pierre White’s mother was Italian and crucially passed away when he was just seven years old. As it would anybody, it clearly had a big impact on him and therefore clings on to that Italian part of him.

So from Marco’s Italian mother, worship of Italian cuisine, married to French technique, first-hand experience of Michelin star Italian cooking, this is Marco Pierre White’s perfect pomodoro sauce.

marco pierre white's pomodoro sauce

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

  

• 2 onions peeled
• 4 cloves garlic peeled
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 800 g fresh tomatoes on the vine
• 2 tins tomatoes

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 150°C. Set a large casserole pan over a low heat.
• Finely chop the onions and garlic. For best results grate them.
• Add a splash of oil to the casserole and add the grated onions and garlic. Stir often to stop them sticking and catching.
• After a couple of minutes add the herbs, and then a minute later roughly chop the fresh tomatoes and add them to the pan, including the vine stems.
• Continue to stew for 6 or 7 minutes and taste, ensuring the onions and tomatoes are sweet. Add the tinned tomatoes and raise the heat, bringing to a fast simmer. Add a cartouche of baking paper, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for an hour.
• After an hour pass the sauce through a sieve or colander set over a bowl and push through until dry. Discard the pulp and season to taste. Use the sauce for pasta or whatever you want.

Video

Notes

This sauce is delicious as it is, but also incredibly versatile. Use it in a lasgane, bulk it out with vegetables, use it as a base for bolognese, chilli or a rogan josh.

Keyword pasta, tomatoes