I make a giant batch of tomato sauce every six months or so to freeze, defrost, and use as needed. Well, this afternoon was sauce day so I thought I would share the recipe we have adapted just a bit and made our own.
Perfect Tomato Sauce
from Food & Wine, 2008 Annual Cookbook
1C extra-virgin olive oil
8 to 12 whole, peeled cloves of garlic (depending on your taste for garlic)
4 Tb tomato paste
3 35-oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 35-oz can whole tomatoes
dash of sugar
bunch of basil
2 bay leaves
s&p to taste
In a large saucepan (we have to use our 9-qt. le crueset) heat olive oil. Add garlic and saute until brown, about 5 mins. Add tomato paste and cook for just a minute. Add all 4 cans of tomatoes. Stir in sugar, basil, bay leaves, and s&p. Bring to a boil. Cook for at least 30 mins for sauce to thicken, but we usually leave it simmering for a few hours. Remove basil and garlic before serving.
Notes:
– Once sauce has reduced to desired consistency, put into containers to freeze.
– We usually let this sauce simmer so long the garlic mostly dissolves so you do not need to remove it before serving/freezing.
– I like a chunkier sauce, so we use 1 can of whole tomatoes instead of all 4 cans of crushed. Right before serving/freezing, mash sauce with a potato masher to break up the whole tomatoes a bit.
– This sauce can be “sauced up” to make other types of tomato sauce too:
Add anchovies, olives, and capers to make Puttanesca.
Add pancetta, vodka, and heavy cream to make Vodka.
Add a mix of cooked ground meat (lamb, pork, beef) to make Bolognese.
Styled by Jess 
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