How to Prepare Fresh Tomatoes for Sauce
Method adapted from Marcella Hazan

Keep in mind that when you make this, it’s possible that your tomatoes will burn slightly at the bottom and leave black marks on the bottom of the pan – this is perfectly fine. To clean your pot after you’re done cooking the tomatoes, add just enough water to cover the pot, and bring everything to a boil scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged wooden spoon.

Plum tomatoes, halved (I worked with 6 pounds)

1. Place the tomatoes in a pot, cover, and set the heat to medium. Depending on the size of your pot, you might need to do your tomatoes in batches. I started with 6 pounds of tomatoes and did them in three batches using an 8-quart stockpot.

2. Cook the tomatoes for 10 minutes, then remove from heat, and process through a food mill fitted with the coarsest grating attachment. Now, your tomato puree is ready for whatever sauce you plan to make.