Sauce Builder
Tuscan Gold
Sun-dried tomato, oregano, fennel. The Tuscan pantry in a bag.
About this blend
Tuscan Gold is built on sun-dried tomato granules and a full herb profile: oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, with cracked fennel seed and a little dried lemon zest to keep it bright. It blooms fast in olive oil and turns into a deep, layered red that tastes like it's been on the stove all afternoon. It hasn't. That's the whole point.
What's in it
Ingredients listed. Ratios are ours to know.
- Sun-dried tomato granules
- Dried oregano
- Dried basil
- Granulated garlic
- Dried parsley
- Flaky sea salt
- Red pepper flakes
- Dried thyme
- Dried rosemary, crumbled
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
- Fennel seed, cracked
- Dried lemon zest
How to build the sauce
Three ways to use Tuscan Gold as a base. The rest is up to you.
Tuscan red sauce
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium. Add 2 tsp Tuscan Gold and bloom for 60 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Add one 28oz can crushed tomatoes. Simmer 15 minutes. Toss with pasta, finish with parm.
Herb oil for dipping
Warm ¼ cup good olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add 1 tsp Tuscan Gold. Don't let it bubble. Just steep for 5 minutes. Pour into a bowl and serve with crusty bread.
Roasting base
Mix 1 tbsp Tuscan Gold with 3 tbsp olive oil to form a paste. Toss with vegetables, potatoes, or chicken thighs. Roast at 425°F until golden.
What to make with it
Six starting points. None of them are rules.
Classic Pasta
Bloom in olive oil, add crushed tomatoes. Ten-minute Tuscan red sauce. Finish with parm and a handful of basil.
Bruschetta
Steep in olive oil with a splash of red wine vinegar. Spoon over grilled bread with fresh tomato.
Sheet Pan Vegetables
Toss with olive oil and roast. The fennel and lemon zest caramelize against the tomato base.
Flatbread
Mix into ricotta as a spread, or use the oil as a drizzle base. Build whatever flatbread you want on top.
Herb-Roasted Chicken
Rub a paste of Tuscan Gold and olive oil under the skin. Roast low and slow for fall-off-the-bone results.
Pasta Salad
Make the herb oil, let it cool, toss with cooked pasta, olives, and arugula. Serve at room temp.
Ten recipes to start with
Every one feeds four. Use them as written or go off-script, that's the point.
3 tbsp olive oil · 2 tsp Tuscan Gold · 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes · 1 lb pasta · parm
- Bloom the Tuscan Gold in warm oil for 60 seconds until it smells like a kitchen.
- Add the tomatoes, simmer 15 minutes while the pasta cooks.
- Toss, top with parm and torn basil.
1/4 cup good olive oil · 1 tsp Tuscan Gold · crusty bread
- Warm the oil low, add the blend, and steep 5 minutes. Don't let it bubble.
- Pour into a shallow bowl and put the bread next to it. Done.
2 lb mixed veg · 3 tbsp olive oil · 1 tbsp Tuscan Gold
- Toss everything together on a sheet pan in one layer.
- Roast at 425F for 25-30 minutes until the edges catch and caramelize.
8 chicken thighs · 1 tbsp Tuscan Gold · 3 tbsp olive oil
- Make a paste with the oil and blend, rub it all over the thighs, under the skin too.
- Roast at 425F for 35-40 minutes until the skin is deep gold and crisp.
4 ripe tomatoes · 2 tbsp olive oil · 1 tsp Tuscan Gold · splash red wine vinegar · grilled bread
- Steep the blend in the oil and vinegar for 10 minutes, then fold in chopped tomato.
- Spoon over grilled bread right before serving so it stays crisp.
1 lb short pasta · 3 tbsp olive oil · 1 tsp Tuscan Gold · olives · arugula
- Bloom the blend in oil, let it cool to room temp.
- Cook and cool the pasta, then toss with the herb oil, olives, and arugula.
- Serve room temp. It's better the next day.
1 cup ricotta · 1/2 tsp Tuscan Gold · 4 thick slices bread · olive oil
- Stir the blend into the ricotta with a pinch of salt.
- Spread thick on toasted bread, finish with a drizzle of oil.
2 cans white beans · 2 tbsp olive oil · 2 tsp Tuscan Gold · 1 cup stock
- Bloom the blend in oil, add drained beans and stock.
- Simmer 12 minutes, smashing a few beans to thicken it. Eat with bread.
1 lb pizza dough · 1 cup ricotta · 1 tsp Tuscan Gold · olive oil
- Mix the blend into the ricotta and spread over stretched dough.
- Bake at 475F for 12-14 minutes until the crust is blistered.
1 lb fresh mozzarella balls · 1/4 cup olive oil · 1 tsp Tuscan Gold
- Whisk the blend into the oil, pour over the mozzarella.
- Let it sit 30 minutes at room temp before serving with bread.
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