It's pretty easy to come home from the Farmer's market with a big bag of fresh tomatoes this time of year. In fact there is no shortage to the amount of vendors selling them either. So take your pick, literally.
There's no better way to use tomatoes than make homemade pasta sauce. It freezes extremely well so go ahead and make a big batch. This basic recipe can be doubled, tripled, or left as is for a smaller batch with a good amount of leftovers. Make some pasta tonight and a pizza tomorrow. Not to mention there's nothing better than pulling out some homemade pasta sauce in the middle of Winter that was made when tomatoes were at their peak.
This basic recipe can be modified with additional ingredients or left as is. It's simple, and traditional.
You Will Need:
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
4 Cloves garlic, chopped
~2 pounds or 6 cups chopped tomatoes
2 TBSP Fresh or dried Parsley
1 TBSP Dried Oregano
2 Bay Leaves
2 TBSP Tomato Paste
2 TBSP Sugar
Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Using a hand blender, roughly blend the tomatoes in a large bowl, leaving large chunks. I leave the skin on because they contain a ton of vitamins.
Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Saute the onions 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Stir in the tomatoes and rest of ingredients.
At this stage the sauce will be very soupy and watery. Continue to cook over medium until boiling. let simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Transfer to a slow cooker and cook on high for about 4 hours. Turn to low and let cook for another 1-2 hours.
At this point your house will begin to smell like Italy. Do yourself a favor and leave the house so that when you return you will be greeted by the amazing aromas of your labors.
If too thin, add 2 TBSP corn starch mixed with 2 TBSP of water and let simmer for another 15 minutes before serving. Freeze or refrigerate leftovers.
