Sugo di Pomodoro 1 & Turnip Greens

Sugo di Pomodoro 1 & Turnip Greens

Sauce

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The Concise Gastronomy of Italy by Anna Del Conte

"A rich tomato sauce, which I like to use for dressing a bowl of penne, or to add to some polpette, leftover boiled meat or poached chicken." – Anna Del Conte

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I was thinking the exact same thing, dressing a bowl of penne.

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Sugo di Pomodoro 1 or Tomato Sauce 1.

I say sugo di pomodoro and the word, pomodoro, gets caught up around my tongue. I repeat, sugo di pomodoro. I massage my jaw and struggle to take the tension from my shoulders. And I sit up straight.

But then, I hunch. I hunch, and I type, and I recall with such depth and accuracy the layers of flavor in this simple sauce.

The cream from the butter.

The subtle notes from the red wine.

The sweetness from the tomatoes and sugar. The savory from the onion and celery. And finally the umph that comes from a little tomato paste. UMmmmph.

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And yes, there is a Sugo di Pomodoro 2.

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Greens

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In her own way, she told me to cook the hell out of the turnip greens. They're really bitter (well, not that bitter).

"Here, taste." She said, handing me a fork.

"They're bitter, but they're really good." I said.