Basic Tomato Sauce

Yield: 3 cups

 This recipe is simple to make, more flavorful than store bought and can be used in all your favorite tomato sauce based recipes. Since this sauce is all about the tomato, use the highest quality canned tomatoes you can find.

 Ingredients

 2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup onion, small dice
½ small carrot, small dice
½ celery stalk, small dice
1 garlic clove, minced
28oz can Whole/Peeled Roma tomatoes with liquid*
1ea. bay leaf
2ea fresh oregano sprigs or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
pinch black pepper

 Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one minute being careful not to let it burn. Next, stir in the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and partially cover with a lid. Stir occasionally and cook until thickens, about 30-45 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

 Puree in a food processor or strain through a food mill for a smooth sauce, or use as is for a chunky style sauce. After cooling, the sauce can be refrigerated 3-5 days or frozen up to three months.