My Unofficial Sauce of Quarantine

Tomatoes, lots of butter, lots of garlic, and a little packet of magic

I could tell you that this buttery, garlicky, tomato sauce spiked with an MSG-laced packet of Goya Sazón seasoning is a byproduct of cooking in quarantine. But that would be a lie. I’ve been making this stuff since Corona was still just a beer. Why stop now?

My soft spot for Sazón is an extension of my soft spot for instant ramen seasoning and whatever the fuck they sprinkle on Doritos. I crave salt, and if that occasionally means consuming it in highly artificial forms, so be it.

This sauce is one of my favorites. I’d call it a guilty pleasure, except I don’t feel the guilt. It’s good on a lot of things: Last night was fajitas, the time before that grilled chicken and steak, the time before that rice and beans. Any simply cooked vegetables are also an appropriate canvas, as are grilled fish, shrimp, tacos, plain grains, and tortilla chips. Really, if the sauce tastes good to you, whatever you put it on will taste good to you, too. A few notes: