Weeknight Heirloom-Style Tomato Sauce

1. Crush Tomatoes

Start by crushing the tomatoes by hand in a large bowl until the pieces are no larger than 0.5 inches. Reserve one cup of these crushed tomatoes in a sealed container to add fresh flavor at the end of the cooking process.

2. Heat Oil and Butter

In your pressure cooker, heat the olive oil and butter together until the butter has melted.

3. Cook Garlic

Once melted, add the minced garlic and cook it for about two minutes to soften the garlic and release its aroma without browning it.

4. Add Spices

Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano to the pressure cooker. Cook these spices for about one minute until they become fragrant.

5. Combine Ingredients

Combine the remaining crushed tomatoes, carrot chunks, split onion, and the large stem of basil into the pressure cooker. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

6. Cook Under Pressure

Seal the pressure cooker and cook everything at high pressure for 45 minutes.

7. Release Pressure

After 45 minutes, release the pressure from the cooker and open the lid.

8. Remove Vegetables

Use tongs to discard the onion, carrot, and basil stem.

9. Add Reserved Tomatoes

Stir in the reserved cup of tomatoes to bring a fresh burst of tomato flavor to the sauce.

10. Add Optional Fish Sauce

If you like, add the optional fish sauce at this point, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

11. Finish Sauce

Finish the sauce by stirring in the minced fresh parsley or basil leaves and an extra drizzle of olive oil for richness.