Literary critic Pellegrino Artusi compiled the first collection of recipes from a united Italian nation, La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangier bene (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well (Lorenzo Da Ponte Italian Library).

The more complex tomato sauce he included is a modern iteration of red sauce with complex flavors beyond simply adding fat. Artusi suggests serving it over meat, pasta, or risotto.

Ingredients

7 or 8 tomatoes
¼ onion
1 clove garlic
1 stalk celery
Basil leaves
Parsley

Instructions

Combine everything with oil, salt and pepper.
Roast on a fire (presumably in a pot) until as thick as cream.
Pass through a sieve.
Serve.

Read all about this and other historic sauces in Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American.