Simple Tomato Sauce

A good simple marinara sauce is always a good thing to have at hand for quick dinners. Yes you could buy a jar of pre-made sauce, but why not give your guests or family a sauce with a little love in it? Make this recipe for tonight's dinner, and save some back for use in Vodka sauce, quick pasta dishes, or chicken or eggplant Parmesan.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 4 to 6 basil fresh leaves
• 2 dried bay leaves, whole
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, or less

Preparation

1. In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, approximately for 2 minutes.
3. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper.
4. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, approximately for 5 minutes.
5. Add the red wine to the vegetables.
6. Add the tomatoes, oregano, basil leaves, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low.
7. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until the sauce is thick.
8. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning.
9. If sauce tastes too acidic, add unsalted butter, sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time,until you have rounded out the flavor of the sauce.
10. Pour half of the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor.
11. Process the sauce until it is smooth.
12. Add the remaining tomato sauce to the pureed sauce mixture , stir well.
13. If you are not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely
14. pour 1 to 2 cup portions into plastic freezer bags.
15. Freeze for up to 6 months.