Marinara

There's nothing as wonderfully comforting as a huge pot of homemade marinara bubbling away all day on a Sunday. This sauce can be stored in an airtight container for a week, or frozen for months. Take the time to make this EASY sauce and use it later on when you're too busy for a long day of home cooking.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 yellow onion chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot chopped

1 celery chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

2 32oz. cans crushed tomatoes

1 cup water

2 dried bay leaves

Instructions:

In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium flame.

Add the onions and garlic and add half of the salt. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add the celery, carrots, and the other half of the salt. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, and pepper and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour.

Remove and discard the bay leaves.

After it has cooled, puree the sauce with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender until silky and smooth. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, skip the blending step.

Add more water if needed for smooth consistency.

Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. Add fresh herbs if desired.

Store in airtight container in refrigerator or freeze.

Serves: 6-8