One of the lessons I learned courtesy of the Food Network is that a great tomato sauce doesn’t have to come from a jar.  It’s simple enough to just make yourself (and IMO tastes so much better).  You can freeze it and store it yourself.

Check out the video on how to make your own tomato sauce courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis’ show Everyday Italian…

The other thing to remember is since this is a basic, you can customize it to your own tastes with herbs, red pepper flakes, etc.  Trust me, just give it one try and you won’t go back to the jarred kind again…

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SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE

Recipe courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis and Food Network

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (Preferably San Marzano – trust me on this!)
• 4 to 6 basil leaves
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

Directions

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

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