10 oz can of tomatoes or 3 & 1/2 cups peeled, diced fresh tomatoes

3/4 tsp whole black peppers

2 tsp sugar

2 & 1/2 cup thin white sauce

3 sprigs parsley

6 whole cloves

1/2 bay leaf

2 slices onions

3/4 tsp salt

Put all ingredients except white sauce into a saucepan; heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Rub through a food mill or sieve. There should be 2 cups puree; if not, add boiling water. Have white sauce thoroughly heated in another pan. When ready to serve, combine by stirring the hot tomato puree slowly into the hot white sauce. Serve immediately.

If the seasoned tomato puree and white sauce are heated to the same temperature and the puree is added to the white sauce with no further heating, there should be no curdling. If re-heating is necessary, it should be done over boiling water with constant stirring.

White sauce:

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk or 1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup water

Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and salt and blend until smooth. Stir in cold milk gradually and cook over direct heat, stirring constantly until sauce boils and becomes thick and smooth. If stirring is done carefully, there will be no lumping, but white sauce that has lumped may often be smoother by beating with a rotary beater. If it is necessary to keep white sauce more than a few minutes before using, place over boiling water and keep it covered, stirring occasionally. Makes about 1 cup sauce. Make this recipe 2 & 1/2 times for soup recipe.

Recipe by Virgina Gioiello

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