Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

 With all the fresh tomatoes we have been getting from the rescue boxes, I make up jars and jars of this sauce for easy meals when I am feeling lazy.  Why do I call it my red pasta sauce?  Because I leave it basic, I can either alter it to be a specific sauce or enjoy the quality of the ingredients on its own.  Sometimes I even use this as pizza sauce.  An Italian patient of mine taught me to make this sauce, but until recently, I just hadn't had enough fresh tomatoes to make it.

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Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 medium onion, minced

2 tsp pink salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup of red wine

4 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, pureed (I used the tiny drops, but any sauce tomato will work)

1 tsp dried basil or 1 tbsp of fresh, fresh is better if you use it right away, dried is better if you are canning it.

1/4 tsp fennel seeds (optional)

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the red pepper flakes, onions, salt, and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  My patient told me to cook it until you smell it, that's 30 seconds to a minute.  Add the red wine, cook for 3 minutes.  Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the tomatoes and spices.  Cook for 45 minutes.

Some people add sugar to the sauce if the tomatoes are on the acidic side.  I learned that fennel seeds will also make them alkaline, because the sweet sauce tastes gross to me.

  Pizza Dough

Lemon Ricotta Pie

Italian Sausage Meatballs

Greek Salad

The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later, you're hungry again.

 - George Miller