A Good Tomato Sauce

I hate tomatoes. 

I hate them fresh, I hate them cooked. I hate the seeds, the texture and the skins.

I do, however love a good tomato sauce. This means there are no seeds, skins or chunks of tomatoes. Pretty much nothing out of a jar or a restaurant. Even a good Italian restaurant.

My mother has the same love of a smooth tomato sauce, so it is what I grew up eating. 
I realized early in my culinary adventures, that I would need to make my own to obtain the sauce I love. 

You may love your current brand of jar sauce, but have you looked at the sodium level in that jar lately?  You can make your own for about the same cost of a jar and know it's better for you and better tasting. 

You want to start with a good tomato puree. Progresso use to be my go-to brand, but I haven't been able to find it in the local groceries stores for a while now. I tried Cento and found it to be just as good. It is smooth, no seeds, no peels.  

The seasonings are what will turn the tomato puree into tomato sauce.  

It looks like a lot, but you probably have most of them in your pantry already. 

Into the pot goes one 28 oz can of puree and one small can of tomato paste.  This will help thicken the sauce.

Then I add 1 cup of water and all the spices. I just dump the spices in until the pile looks about right. You can use the measurements below and adjust them as you see fit.  

Mix it well and then let it simmer for 2 hours.  Stir it occasionally so it doesn't' burn on the bottom of the pan.

When it smells right, turn off the burner and let it cool. 

I use to get 3 meals out of one batch, but my growing teenage boy has cut that down to 2.  

This is a basic sauce and can be used in any recipe that calls for tomato sauce. I use it for spaghetti & meatballs, lasagna, chicken cacciatore, the list goes on.

A Good Tomato Sauce

1-28oz can of puree (or any tomato base you want to use)

1-small can of tomato paste

1 c water

1-2 Tbsp Onion Powder

1-2 Tbsp Garlic Powder

1-2 Tbsp Oregano

1-2 Tbsp Basil

1 - 2 Bay Leaves (depending on size)

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Sugar (to cut down the acidity)

Mix together in a big pot. Bring to a boil. Then cover (very important or you will have tomato all over your stovetop) and drop the heat to low. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  You can add meats to the sauce after it's simmered for a while.This will allow the flavors to mix. 

Let is cool before transferring to storage containers.