Tomato Sauce

My mother’s recipe for tomato sauce, featuring my own modifications. It’s quite hearty, and, more importantly, quite cheap.

This recipe makes about 8 to 10 servings. It takes roughly 1 hour to make.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground hot Italian sausage
• 32 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 16 oz canned tomato sauce
• 6 oz canned tomato paste
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oregano
• Basil
• Other herbs and spices to taste (e.g. rosemary, thyme, bay leaves)

Directions

1. Heat a large pot on the stove. Sauté onion, bell peppers, and garlic in oil until the onions are clear.
2. Add sausage, slicing with a spatula until mixed and mostly cooked, approx. 5 min.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer.
4. Add seasonings to taste.
5. Simmer until the sauce has a thick, unctuous texture. I recommend forgetting about the sauce for at least 20 minutes, but after an hour it gets even better.
6. Serve over pasta.

Notes

• Use whatever vegetables you like in this recipe. I don’t like black olives, but you can definitely add them if you like them.
• My mother’s version originally called for 4 sticks of celery. I don’t particularly like it that way, but you can add them if it makes you feel more authentic.