Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small onions, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tbs red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (San Marzano is my favorite)
- 2 dried bay leaves
Preparation
Step 1
In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour.
Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)
* We like this sauce smooth, so I use an immersion blender after it's ready to smooth it out......it also saves time because you can just rough chop all the veggies and cook them, instead of finely chopping everything.