A Simple Tomato Sauce

"The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again."      ~ George Miller

while i was growing up in my italian family, not only did we enjoy pasta quite a bit, we experienced the joy of canning tomatoes every august - thousands of tomatoes, pruney fingers, head to toe tomato seeds and peel and huge propane burners heating large canning pots filled with boiling water - did I mention it was august?? while my friends were swimming or running around under sprinklers, we were canning jar upon jar of tomato puree and pieces for use throughout the year.

while i am grateful for learning how to can tomatoes, i sometimes wonder why anyone would go to this much trouble - especially in the thick of it, when another hot tomato has just exploded in my face. there are so many choices readily available today, not only  ready made sauces but also commercially canned tomatoes. well, aside from the fact that i know exactly what is going into my sauce, i am preserving a tradition, and there is something innately wonderful about that. i think back on the years and the meals that came from the countless jars and it connects me to my roots.

this recipe will work whether you are a home-canner or not. like most of my recipes, it is flexible to accommodate what you may have on hand, and it allows for you to tailor it to your palate. if you would like, it can be built up with the addition of herbs, vegetables or meat. (feel free to ask!)

"whenever i make this sauce, i make a double or triple batch to enjoy for future meals. the extra sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-5 days in a covered glass container, or it can easily be frozen."

Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 large onion (attach 2 bay leaves with 4 cloves)

4 cloves of garlic

2 carrots

2 stalks of celery

4 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 cans (28 oz) of tomato puree

1 teaspoon dried oregano or italian seasoning

pinch of red pepper flakes

pinch of sugar (if your tomatoes are too acidic)

For a silky sauce, keep the onion, garlic, carrots and celery whole for easy removal. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, chop the vegetables as finely as you wish and leave them in.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and tomato paste and allow to cook 3-5 minutes more, without scorching. Add the tomato puree, stir well and bring to a simmer.  Add the seasonings and lower the heat to maintain the simmer. Cook uncovered for 30 - 45 minutes, until the sauce thickens and is slightly reduced in volume. Remove vegetables if so desired and serve.