Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 6 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 2 carrots
  • 8 large tomatoes (no skin )
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 6 fresh basil leaves

Instruction

  • First, we need to get rid of the tomato skins. You can use a potato peeler. If the tomatoes are too soft, make a criss-cross cut on top of tomatoes and drop them into boiling water for just a minute and the skin will be easy to peel off.
  • Chop your vegetables (don't let any of the tomato juice escape, you will use it all). If you prefer a chunky sauce, dice the vegetables. If you prefer a smooth sauce then it doesn't matter because you will blend all of it in the end. I recommend a little bit of both. Dice your vegetables but use a hand-held blender in a couple of spots but not on all the sauce.
  • In a large pot, preheat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots. Saute until a little bit caramelized. Lower the heat to medium and add tomatoes, some salt and a bay leaf. Mix well. Cover but leave a crack to let the steam escape and cook for about 15 minutes (don't forget to stir).
  • Add garlic, sugar, pepper, oregano and thyme. Cover and cook over medium low heat for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Mince the fresh basil and add it to the pot. Cover, leaving a crack for steam to escape, and cook for another hour. (Remember to stir once in a while.)
  • Pulse the sauce with a hand-held blender a few times. Taste to make sure that you have enough salt.
  • Take off heat and cool it to room temperature. Transfer it to a jar and close tightly. Refrigerate when not using. (You can also portion it into freezer bags and freeze.)