Italian Tomato Sauce, with Variations
The classic red sauce without meat, and with two variations. Use any version of this in Lasagne, or Eggplant Parmesan, or in pasta of any size or shape.Make full batch even if you won't use it all in one meal. All of these variations keep well up to a week in the refrigerator, and much longer in the freezer.
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 medium-sized bell pepper diced
- 2 tsp basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 (1lb 13oz) can tomatoes
- 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp honey
- lots of black pepper
- 4 to 6 large cloves of garlic minced
- ½ cup freshly minced parsley
Marinara Variation:
- 2 medium stalks celery minced
- 1 lb mushrooms chopped
- 1 to 2 medium (6-inch) zucchini diced
- 2 to 3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes chopped
- a handful of fresh basil leaves chopped
Cavolfiore Variation:
- 1 large cauliflower cut into 1-inch florets
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch Oven or kettle. Add onion, bell pepper, herbs, and salt, and sauté over medium heat until the onion is very soft (8 to 10 minutes).
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, and black pepper. Use a spoon to break up the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Add garlic, and cook about 10 minutes more. At this point, the sauce can sit for up to several hours, or be refigerated for up to a week. Heat gently before serving, and add parsley at the last minute.
Marinara Variation:
- Add Marinara ingredients with Step 1. Sauté until all vegetables are very tender.
Cavolfiore Variation:
- Steam cauliflower until tender. Add to Step 2.
