Tomato Sauce

• Ready In: 0 mins
• Yields: 1 batch

Ingredients

• 1  can large tomatoes (cheapest is best here, since they're soupy to start with)
• 2  tomatoes, peeled (if they're in season, else don't bother) (optional)
• 1  onion, chopped
• 2  cloves garlic, minced
• 1  small red bell peppers (only if you like it) (optional) or 1  small green bell pepper (only if you like it) (optional)
• 1⁄4 cup best olive oil
• 8  ounces Contadina tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can Contadina tomato paste
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano
•  fresh basil, Minced (hard to have too much basil)

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot, and saute the onions and green pepper until soft. Add the garlic and saute another minute or two.
2. Coarsely chop the fresh tomatoes, add them to the pot and cook, stirring, until they begin to give up their juice. Coarsely chop the canned tomatoes and add them, along with the tomato sauce and tomato past. Stir in the seasonings, cover the pot and simmer the sauce over low heat 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. The Contadina tomato sauce and paste have significantly better flavor than any others I know of.
4. If you can't get Contadina, then a small shake of Tabasco will help (not enough to make it hot, just enough to give it a little sparkle).