Which of the following is a tomato-based derivative of the Tomate mother sauce?

• A. Marinara
• B. Bechamel
• C. Veloute
• D. Espagnole

Answer: (A)

Tomato-based derivatives start from the Tomate mother sauce, using tomatoes as the base and building flavor with aromatics. Marinara fits this exactly, as it is a tomato-forward sauce made by simmering tomatoes with garlic, onions, olive oil, and herbs, keeping the tomato flavor at the forefront. The other sauces come from different mother sauces: béchamel is milk-based with roux; velouté uses white stock with roux; espagnole is a rich brown sauce built from brown stock and mirepoix (often with tomato paste). They’re not centered on a tomato base the way marinara is, so they’re not derivatives of the Tomate mother sauce.