Basic Tomato Sauce

This recipe* is from Jonathan Sara.  The recipe was featured on My Family Recipe Rocks.

Plan to give this recipe approximately 6 hours.  The recipe in itself is simple to put together, you just need time for all the flavors to simmer and marry together.  I love waking up and making this sauce on Sunday’s in the fall.  There is something magical about watching football while smelling this delicious, mouthwatering sauce, simmering in your kitchen.

I really love this pasta sauce.  It’s super easy to make and the end result is better than any store bought brand.  I don’t know about you, but I love the feeling of making something from scratch.   I sleep better knowing EXACTLY what I’m putting in my food.  This sauce freezes really well so if you make a batch or two, you will have homemade sauce on hand, whenever you need it!

Ingredients

Olive Oil (1 cup)

1/2 of a Large Sweet Onion (Finely Chopped)

4-5 Cloves of Garlic (Finely Chopped)

2 Cans Crushed Tomatoes (28 oz) (San Marzano if possible)

2 Cans Whole Peeled Tomatoes (28 oz) (San Marzano if possible)

Water (14 oz) (1/2 of the tomato can)

Dry Basil (1 Tablespoon)

Dry Oregano (1 Teaspoon)

Crushed Red Pepper (1/2 Teaspoon)

Sugar (2 Teaspoons)

Salt (2 Tablespoons)  NOTE: after the 1st TBS, add the salt in 1 TEASPOON increments to ensure your sauce is not too salty (my first batch was)

Fresh Cracked Pepper (1 Teaspoon) (about 20 turns of a pepper mill)

Fresh Chopped Basil (Approx 10 large leaves)

Directions

1.  Heat a large sauce/stock pot on medium heat. Add the oil and let it come up to temperature. Add the onions and sauté for approximately 5 minutes until they begin to become soft and translucent. Lower the heat a little and add the garlic. Cook for approximately 3 minutes, watching it closely to make sure it does not burn (it will ruin the sauce!). Add the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and water, and stir. Add in the 2 cans of whole peeled tomatoes, crushing them in your hand to break them up as you add into the pot. Add the dry basil, dry oregano, and crushed red pepper, crushing in your hands as you add it in to release the oils. Add the sugar, salt, and pepper, and stir.

2.  Simmer on low heat with the lit cracked for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add in the fresh chopped basil and lightly blend the sauce using a submersion blender. Pulse the blender slowly, keeping the sauce slightly chunky, not making it to smooth. Continue cooking for as long as you can, up to 5 more hours. Low and slow, the longer the better.

3.  The sauce freezes great! After it cools put in plastic containers and keep in freezer for when you are ready to make some pasta, or to use in your favorite recipe.

 *Note, I was unable to find a picture of this homemade sauce, so I used the same picture for the gnocchi recipe found here.