When making spaghetti and/or marinara sauces, or other tomato sauces, I notice that carrots are part of the ingredients. What is the purpose of the carrots? How should they be introduced? Grated, pureed, etc? Is sugar also added when carrots are used?
I appreciate your responses. I will probably puree the carrots, celery, and some of the onions when I make some sauce. I will leave some of the onions minced for chunks in the sauce. I would imagine this would freeze well for a couple of months too.
I always add carrots, and I always make my sauces from scratch, including home canning my own tomatoes. I put clean and peeled carrot chunks in my blender, along with celery, onion, and a quart of tomatoes, and pulverize. I set it in a pan to cook before proceeding with the sauce-making. Pureed carrots and celery add so much flavor and body to the sauce. And it's a great way to hide veggies.
They provide fiber and get added nutrients to the sauce. I just slice the carrots so you have coins in the sauce. If you want them smaller, it's a personal preference.
IMO carrots are added to sauces to extend the recipe. Puree them so they're not readily identified in the sauce. Sugar is added for people who do not like the 'bite' or acidity of tomatoes and is seen in bland adaptations of authentic Italian recipes.
What i've done for 35 yrs is combine the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, a bit of olive oil and seasonings to taste. These days I prefer low-cal vegetarian spaghetti sauce but you can add hamburger or other meats. Additional ingredients extend the original core sauce recipe: onions, mushrooms, etc.
Simmering the sauce for hours 'n hours is not really necessary altho it does yield a sauce with several nuances of flavor.
A quick sauce combined in a mixing bowl, but not cooked b4 refrigeration will taste just as good. Just dip out your portion sizes to heat in the microwavable bowls then refrigerate the rest. This works well for single-portion needs.
Don't forget to sprinkle on your choice of cheese b4 serving. Parmesian is traditional however i've found whichever choice or combo lends variety when dealing w/single-portion 'leftovers' so to speak.
The traditional Italian tomato sauce is extremely versatile offering us many ways to enjoy our pasta. Once you feel confident w/the basics, dare to create your own variations. Enjoy :o)
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