Marinara Sauce

A light, fresh-tasting sauce with quintessential tomato flavor. Worth stocking up on when tomatoes are dead-ripe and abundant as this recipe freezes well.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Yields: 3 pints

Ingredients

• 6  lbs  ripe Italian tomatoes
• 1  cup  very finely minced onion
• 1⁄2 cup  very finely minced celery
• 1  cup  very finely minced carrot
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil
• 1  teaspoon sugar
•  white pepper
• 2  teaspoons ground coriander or 1⁄2-1  teaspoon dried marjoram or 1  teaspoon dried basil or 1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
• 1 -2  teaspoon salt, to taste

Directions

1. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water, a few at a time.
2. Let the water return to a boil, then remove the tomatoes and drain.
3. Peel and chop.
4. In a large saucepan, cook the onion, celery, and carrots in the olive oil, covered, over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring a few times.
5. Uncover and stir, over the heat, for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are very soft and lightly gold.
6. Add the tomatoes, sugar, and pepper and simmer gently, covered, for 15 minutes.
7. Puree the sauce through the medium disc of food mill.
8. Add the optional seasoning and cook at a bare simmer until a desirable consistency is reached, about 20 minutes, stirring often.
9. Add salt to taste.
10. If you prefer a smooth sauce, work the sauce through the fine disc of a food mill.
11. Cool the sauce and refrigerate it.
12. It will keep, refrigerated, for about a week, or for several months if frozen.