Pasta Sauce

(Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free, Soy-Free)

Ingredients:

§  Olive oil (about 1-2 tbsps)

§  1 large onion, minced (about 1 cup)

§  4 med-large cloves garlic, minced

§  2 large cans (about 28 oz) stewed tomatoes (do not drain)

§  1-2 Tbsp chopped kalamata olives, roughly chopped

§  1 Tbsp capers (chop these if you don't like the little chunks)

§  6 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

§   1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

§  ½-1 tsp sugar (optional)

§  Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1.       Add a few Tbsps of oil to a large saucepan (to coat the bottom) and bring to med-high heat. Add the onion and the garlic and sauté for a few minutes until soft and lightly browned.

2.      Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, and the herbs and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for at least 30 min, until cooked down and thick, continue cooking if want it reduced further or thin with more tomato juice or stock if desired.

3.      Taste the sauce and add the sugar if needed then season with salt and pepper. Puree the sauce if desired or leave it chunky.

4.      Keep warm until ready to serve. Serve with any of your favorite pasta dishes. Makes about 3-3 1/2 cups. Serves 6-8. 

The amount of olive oil here can vary, depending on

the size and type of pan mostly, but basically you just

want enough to swirl on the bottom and get a nice

covering for the onions and garlic.

Sauteing the onions...red onions would

probably also be nice here, but i haven't tried

it yet.

Canned tomatoes tend to be sweeter than most

fresh tomatoes they make this sauce a lot quicker

and easier, but if you insist upon using fresh tomatoes,

I just ask that you PLEASE only use them if they

are in season and very good, flavorful tomatoes,

otherwise, canned is a much better bet!

Another thing I must insist upon in this recipe

is the use of fresh herbs! The fresh basil especially

just makes this sauce outstanding and gets comments

every time!

If you in a hurry to get dinner on the table, you

can cook the sauce pretty on pretty high heat

to get it to reduce quickly, but if you have the

time, I recommend let it cook low and slow for

at least thirty minutes or a couple of hours to

really develop it's flavor.

As good as this looks...I think it tastes even better!

It also freezes well so you can buy big bunches of

the fresh herbs and make a big batch of this sauce

to be ready to go whenever you want it! Serve

this with your favorite pasta dishes, OR with my

Squashetti and Chicken Meatballs!