Marinara Sauce

I found this in Cooking Light several years ago. I tweaked it a bit to my own taste. A simple slow cooking marinara sauce. Makes enough to freeze and can be used in many different recipes and not just as a spaghetti sauce. Makes a great sauce for pizza. Pull a container out of the freezer, heat, pour over pasta and you have a quick and easy meal.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 6 -8  garlic cloves, chopped
•  salt
• 2  teaspoons dried basil
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1  teaspoon dried thyme
• 1  teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1  teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
• 2  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 2  cups fat-free chicken broth
• 3 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 8 ingredients (through fennel seeds); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for an hour or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
2. To store in the freezer: Ladle room-temperature or chilled sauce into plastic containers. Seal and freeze for up to four months. When reheating add a dash of balsamic vinegar to wake up the flavor.