A Little Of This, A Little Of That, Tomato Sauce

My mother was all Irish and married an Italian/Sicilian.  What a combination!  She learned how to cook Italian/Sicilian dishes from my grandmother.  Ravioli, spaghetti, gnocchi, you name it my grandmother made it, all from scratch and the bread too.  What's an Italian meal without the bread?  Both were outstanding cooks who would say, "If you leave the table hungry it's your own fault".  They were always right.  I learned how to cook from both of them, and I love it to this day.  I'm a little sad now that I can't help them make those big meals we all use to have, because they are gone now, and my kids have moved away or are off to college.  So when everybody is home, I still try to make some of those meals, so we can all sit around the table and share our laughter.  One thing my family will all eat is pasta, and lots of it.  I make this pasta sauce at least once a week.  It's easy and doesn't take long to make, see the recipe below.

Two of the main ingredients

Saute, garlic and onion in olive oil.  Fry the paste.

Mix the onion and garlic in the paste.  Add the crushed tomatoes.

 Add: oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, parsley, sugar, bay leaves and pepper.

 And don't forget the cheese and wine!  Let it simmer for a delicious smooth sauce.

Easy Pasta Sauce

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 large sweet onion, diced

1  6 oz. can of tomato paste

1  28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp. oregano

1 Tbsp. basil, use fresh if you have it

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 Tbsp. parsley, use fresh flat leaf if you have it, if not dried is fine

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 cup  of grated parmesan/romano cheese

1/3 cup of white cooking wine, if you have white wine use that.

Cook the garlic and the onion in the 2 Tbsp. of olive oil, on medium heat, in a large sauce pan.  Cook until onions are transparent, but be careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the can of tomato paste and stir into the garlic and onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring.  Stir in the crushed tomatoes.  Add the oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, parsley, sugar, bay leaves, black pepper, cheese and wine.  Stir until all combined.  Cover and cook on low heat, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and scraping the sides of the pan.  Serve over your favorite pasta.  Store leftovers in the freezer.

NOTE:  Add homemade meatballs, sausage or chicken to the sauce if you like.  Always cook them first before adding.