Why it works: Tomato and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and 17,923 recipes mention both. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Tomato Sauce, No. 2
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the tomatoes
Halve the tomatoes and remove the seeds and watery pulp.
Make the sauce
Stew the solid portions gently with a little gravy or strong broth until softened.
Strain through a fine sieve and reheat with additional gravy, cayenne pepper, and salt.
Serve hot.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomatoes
- Provide the main body and tangy flavor of the sauce once stewed and strained.
- Gravy or strong broth
- Adds savory depth and moisture while the tomato solids soften.
The step that matters
Stew the solid portions gently. Gentle heat softens the tomato solids without scorching them, so the strained sauce stays smooth and tastes fresh rather than burnt or bitter.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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