Rachel's Pasta Sauce (Recipe!)

Today I am making my pasta sauce!  It's been quite a while since I've made it since I haven't been going to Cash & Carry, where I get my large tomato bases.  But I went with a friend yesterday.  Woohoo!  Last night I prepped all the vegetables, and this morning I got cooking. It's now simmering happily away on the stove top.  I'm looking forward to some delicious sauce this evening!  :D

(Please excuse the bad photo.  It's an old one and I didn't have a good resolution saved.  I'll likely take a new pic tonight.)

Rachel's Pasta Sauce

Slowly cooking this sauce over many hours makes all the difference, allowing the flavors to marry and mature! Start it in the morning and eat / freeze/ can in the evening.

If your crock pot is big enough it would be an excellent alternative.

Course: Sauces

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 45 min
Cook Time: 6 hr
Total Time: 7 hr

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 pound carrots
• ¹⁄₂ pound celery
• 1 medium onion ( 1/2 lb) diced
• 2 Tablespoons garlic fresh or dried, minced
• 1 large can (6lb 10oz) tomato puree
• ¹⁄₂ large can (6lb 6oz) diced tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons parsley
• 1 Tablespoon basil
• ¹⁄₂ Tablespoon oregano
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
• ¹⁄₂ Tablespoon pepper
• ¹⁄₄ cup brown sugar
• Meatballs Optional

Directions

1. Dice the carrots and celery and put into a pot; add enough water to cover. Cook vegetables on medium heat until soft (about 20 minutes). Drain over a bowl reserving the water. Puree vegetables in a food processor, or blender until smooth, adding cooking water as needed.
 
2. Meanwhile, dice the onion and saute in oil or butter until soft. If using dried onion, use cooking water to hydrate and soften.
 
3. Set a stock pot on the stove on low. Add all ingredients, including the cooking water, into the pot. Simmer on low for several hours.
   Note: If you don't like a really chunky sauce, pulse the diced tomatoes in the food processor a few times. We like ours slightly lumpy in our house.
 
4. Adding meatballs: If using precooked meatballs, add to the sauce 1 hour before serving. Do not microwave to thaw frozen meatballs as it will toughen the meat. If using fresh meatballs, brown the formed balls in a skillet before adding them to the sauce to cook through. About 2- 3 hours.

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