Homemade Tomato Sauce

The moment you've all been waiting for, not so patiently for some people; part 2 of my 3 part mini-series. Here we have the fundamental recipe for my tomato sauce. There is so much you can do with this base recipe (which you may see in part 3) but it is also fantastic on its own to go on top of a pasta.

3 x 28oz Cans of whole, peeled, tomatoes (San Marzano are best)

1 large onion, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp tomato paste

~2 cans of water (use to rinse cans and pour in)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp italian seasoning

1 Tbsp dry oregano

1 Tbsp dry basil

1 Tbsp dry parsley

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp black pepper

1-2 Tbsp salt (depends on your preference, start with 1 Tbsp and add more later if needed)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp white sugar

In a large pot, over medium heat, pour in approximately 1 Tbsp of olive oil and use to sauté onions until translucent. Add in your tomato paste and cook an additional 3 minutes before adding garlic. Give it just another minute or two. Now it's time to add in your canned tomatoes, seasonings, and sugar. Reduce heat to maintain a soft simmer for about 20 minutes.

Last up, pull your pot off the heat and get out your handy dandy immersion blender (also known as a stick blender; this is the one I have). You could also use a regular blender with a heat safe pitcher if you don't have a stick blender (or if you are worried about your cookware not being metal utensil safe). Either way, blend until smooth and let simmer for at least another 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Other thoughts:

1. Sometimes I will add a bit of red wine to the sauce (about 1/4 Cup) at the same time and adjust the sugar/salt as needed

2. I made this sauce once and added about 3/4 of a pound of shredded carrots after cooking down the tomato paste

3. Basically any type of meat works well in here (hint, hint part 3). Best to cook in separate pan and add to the pot after

4. Because my lovely wife is immune to spice I sometimes add up to 2 tsp of red pepper flakes depending on how I feel

5. This sauce makes a great lasagna