A Simple Red Sauce

Tonight is the big Christmas celebration with half of our family. Brian and I are spending the evening with my mom, step dad, 2 step sisters, 2 brother-in-laws, 1 step brother, 2 nieces, 1 niece on the way, and a partridge in a pear tree...

We decided to have a casual evening with a laid back comforting meal. We have had the big turkey with all the sides at Thanksgiving, a ham and all the sides at a family Christmas party last weekend with some of our extended family, and there are many more gatherings on the way with this type of feast on the menu. So...I have volunteered to make a homemade lasagna that makes my mouth water just talking about it with some garlic bread on the side. My mom is preparing the salad and my step sisters are making the desserts.

I decided to prepare the sauce this morning because I love to let it simmer for an hour or so to get nice and thick. It will also make my life that much easier later today when I am ready to build my lasagna.

I absolutely love this sauce. I love altering it every time I make it, depending on the dish. I use it with pastas, on pizza, in casseroles, on chicken parmesan, you name it...it is so versatile.

Start by heating about a 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium high heat. I of course use a Dutch Oven for this, but you can use a large sauce pan of your choice.

Then begin chopping a small onion and a couple cloves of garlic.

I add the onion to the oil once it has heated through and saute it a few minutes before adding the garlic. Saute the onion and garlic until they are translucent. About 5 - 10 minutes.

Chop a carrot and a celery stalk while your onions and garlic are cooking. Quick tip: I like to cut slits in the celery and then chop my pieces all at once. I think it is easier because the strips are still being held together by the stalk.

Add the chopped carrots and celery and some salt and pepper to the onion and garlic and saute for about 5 - 10 minutes. Basically until the vegetables are soft and tender.

Next, add 2 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes, some dried basil, parsley, oregano, and 2 - 3 bay leaves and simmer on low heat for about an hour or so to let the sauce thicken. (Sometimes I add red pepper flakes here for some heat.) I like to use an Italian brand of canned tomatoes, but you may have to experiment with brands. I definitely like some brands better than others.

Here is the reduced sauce. I like to taste it after it has reduced for seasoning because the flavors have had a chance to concentrate. Today, the tomatoes were still tasting a little acidic, so I added a couple of sprinkles of sugar and a drizzle of honey. I also added a couple tablespoons of butter. Remember that the sauce will sweeten slightly after pureed due to the carrots.

I like to use my immersion blender for pureeing the sauce, but you could use a blender or a food processor and do this in batches. Once pureed, you can use the sauce immediately or store it in the refrigerator. If you are not planning on using all the sauce soon, you can let it completely cool and freeze it in smaller portions.

More to come...lasagna!