Sad Season Sauce
Savoury, shalloty and garlicy. For months without sun and/or ripe tomatoes.
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A rich red sauce in a black frying pan with large visible chunks of garlic and shallots.
A recipe developed for foodstuff newsletter.
“Sad season” (noun):
That period of time when the air is so dry that your skin is crackling and peeling but no amount of moisturizer ever seems to offer relief
Periods of grief, as they ebb and ripple.
When mood disorders are on their shit.
Any season that does not yield glorious ripe tomatoes.
This sauce is shallot forward.
It is sort of like a vegan/veggie version of the shallot pasta, but it wasn’t conceived as such. It also doesn’t have to be a pasta sauce. You can use it in sandwiches, or as a spread on sourdough. It makes a tasty pizza sauce too!
Not only are shallots and garlic forgiving to work with, they are also generally easy to find and keep in large quantities. Because of this, I usually have them on hand, and in the right amount to make a batch of sauce (which is enough for two large portions of pasta or one 16x24” Roman style pizza).
I like everything to be inundated with an obscene about of garlic. If that is not you, you’ll want to reduce the amount of garlic, obviously. Please modify to suite your tastes—there are lots of opportunities to do so and I encourage you to pursue them eagerly and share your findings in the comments.
I’ve made this sauce with the addition of a red bell pepper that needed to be eaten. I’ve also tossed in chopped and shrivelled veggie butts— zucchinis, eggplants, mushrooms. Whatever veggies you have lingering in the far reaches of your fridge could probably be cooked along with the shallots and garlic. Small quantities of other veggies will lend their flavours to the dish without beating out the shallots, who are the star here.
Some things to hold with you if you decide to make this recipe:
This recipe is a reflection of my location and features ingredients I have easy access to as someone who lives in a city in Southern Ontario. Access to these ingredients may very depending on where you are located. Play with the ingredients you have available to you. You may end up with something even yummier!
Access Note: Lots of peeling and chopping. Consider using pre-peeled and chopped shallots and garlic if these actions are not possible or will aggravate pain.
The Sauce
Makes enough for two large pasta servings | 45 minutes prep + cook
*Read at least once over before you begin*
Printable copy available here: Printable Sad Season Sauce
Cooking Utensils:
Frying pan
Wooden spatula
Ingredients:
Shallots- approx. 1lb (I used exactly 500g)
Garlic- 2 heads
Tomato paste- ¼ cup
Water- ½ cup
Olive Oil- follow your heart
Salt- follow your heart
Pepper- follow your heart
Red pepper flakes- follow your heart
Sun dried tomatoes- 4-5 pieces (the ones halved and stored in oil)
MSG (optional)- ¼ tsp
Fresh basil (optional)- follow your heart
A cluster of shallots, two heads of garlic, a jar of tomato paste and a bottle of extra virgin olive oil lying on a cutting board.
Method:
Prep your ingredients. Slice shallots into thin strips. Cut garlic into large hunks.
Heat frying pan- medium heat.
Once the pan is hot, add olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. *To check for a hot pan, carefully hover your hand above its center. When the pan is hot you will feel the heat radiating.)
After giving the oil some time to heat, add your shallots and garlic. If you like a more caramelized shallot, I recommend adding the shallots first and letting them cook a bit before adding the garlic. Garlic is not forgiving if you burn it.
Enjoy the sound of your ingredients sizzling as they hit the oil. Enjoy the smell of olive oil, shallots and garlic cooking.
Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and MSG.
Turn heat to medium-low and cook until shallots are slightly caramelized and falling apart. Watch your garlic closely– do not let your garlic burn.
Add tomato paste.
Add water to reach desired thickness. I start with ½ cup.
Add sundried tomatoes (cut them into smaller bits as you add them) and fresh basil.
Taste test! Does it need more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes? Something else? Add that here.
If you’re enjoying this as a pasta sauce, add to cooked pasta, plate and top with more fresh basil, cheese, and fresh-ground black pepper.
A bowl of pasta dressed in a red sauce and topped with fresh basil and vegan Romano cheese.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Pairs well with:
Pasta
Pizza
Sourdough
