Posted by This is the basic “meatless” sauce. Once this is done, you can add
anything. meat, sausage, mushrooms or whatever.. This will keep a
long time in the Freezer. COOKING TIME = 4-5 HOURS.
INGREDIENTS:
3 #10 cans of a good Italian crushed UNFLAVORED ROMA tomatoes..
with no additional seasoning. if you want a bit more “texture”
to the sauce, substitute 1 can of whole tomato’s and prior to putting in the pot, squish ‘em between your fingers, removing the stem portion.
2 small cans of tomato paste or 1 large can.
Between 4 and 8 cloves of Garlic.. minced, crushed or chopped fine (Depends on whether you want to disable small children). I like about 6 nice cloves for this recipe.
2 Large Brown Onions. chopped in ¼ inch pieces. I’ve tested all the onions, and these are the best for this.
About 2 Tablespoons of Dried Italian Oregano (to Taste) you can always add a bit more during cooking.
1 Full Teaspoon of dried Marjoram
3/4 Teaspoon of Rosemary.. CRUSHED
3 Bay Leaves
1 tablespoon of dried Sweet Basil. don’t use fresh for this.
½ Teaspoon of Thyme
1 cup of a good White wine. For a slightly stronger taste, do ½ and ½ White and Red Wine.
You will need some water, Start with 1 cup. How much will depend on how your sauce is cooking.
Instructions:
In a Large pot, saute the onions in enough REGULAR Olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot until they are soft and transparent. If you use a really dark green Olive Oil, it will change the taste of the sauce. Do Not caramelize the onions!! At the end of that process, add the Garlic, and stir for about a minute to release the garlic oils.
Then, add ALL the DRY ingredients. Add ½ teaspoon of Kosher Salt (Not table Iodized salt), ½ teaspoon of black pepper, a couple pinches of crushed Italian red (hot) pepper flakes– optional. Also add ½ teaspoon of sugar.
Stir for another couple minutes or so to let them release their oils.
Add the 3 cans of Tomatoes, the Paste, the wine.
Add ½ cup of water. The sauce will be fairly “loose” . Bring to a LOW BOIL Stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom. Immediately remove from heat. Don’t let anything burn on the bottom or it will taste terrible. THIS MEANS YOU GOTTA STIR THE STUFF !!
Turn down the heat to a simmer. Partially cover the top and reduce the heat so you only get the “blup blup” type bubbles. Stir every 30 min or so. Add water if it gets too thick. Remember this will simmer for 4-5 hours. Remember how many bay leaves you put in, and make sure you remove them when the sauce is done. You will note that you will get a sort of slightly burned spotty “oily” look when you check the top of the sauce. Don’t remove it. That is perfect, and just stir that stuff back into the sauce. This means it’s at the right simmer temperature. Make sure you stir all the way to the bottom, scraping the bottom of the pot. If it is bubbling and popping, it is too hot.. A wooden spoon is the best for this. Do not add any water during the last ½ hour of cooking time. You may have to adjust the flame to get the right simmer reaction. You will notice in the last hour of cooking that the sauce will take on the proper shiny “look” and consistency.
The great part about this is it only requires ONE pot.
Most of this sauce is a “taste” thing. modifying the ingredients will customize it to your liking.
