Marinara Sauce

I hope you don't think I've totally lost it home-making my own marinara. This recipe is enough sauce to dress 2 pounds of spaghetti, is enough to sauce 4-6 pizzas, or is enough to make your friends think you've gone totally off the deep end and is enough to cause concern from your family.

Ingredients:
3 Cloves Garlic
2 Onions
1 Carrot
1 Stalk Celery

1 32oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
1/4C EVOO
2 dried Bay Leaves
Salt & Pepper
opt. Fresh Herbs

Directions:
Mince garlic and chop onions. Dice celery and carrot. Add EVOO to a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook uncovered for 10min. Add celery, carrot, and S&P. Cover and cook for 10min. Add bay leaves, canned tomatoes, and water. Bring to a simmer. Partially cover. Cook over low for 1hr.

Chop 2 onions.

Mince 3 cloves of garlic.

Dice the celery and carrot.

Add 1/4C EVOO (or 4Tbl) to a soup pot. Heat over medium heat.

Add the onion and garlic. Cook uncovered for 10 min.

Starting out.

After 5min.

After 10min.

Add celery and carrot. Season with 1/2tsp. salt & 1/2tsp. pepper.

Cover and cook for 10min.

Starting out. (I obviously removed the lid for each photo)

After 5min.

After 10min.

Add a 32oz. can of crushed tomatoes.

Rinse/fill can up with water. Add to the soup pot.

Add bay leaves.

Bring back to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 1hr.

After 20min.

After 40min.

After 1hr.

Done. Taste for seasoning.

I added more salt and pepper.

Remove both bay leaves.

Blend. *See Cook's Notes

Remember to remove the blender's insert and cover the lid's opening with a hot pad or towel.

Thanks to my Sis & Den for the decorative hot pads. My sis always gets me the best gifts.

Blend until smooth.

Pour blended contents back into the soup pot.

Savor every spoonful!

Cook's Notes:

Blend to your heart's content or based upon the recipe you're going to use the marinara for.

For example: If you know you love a smooth sauce with no chunks, blend the entire thing without a second thought. There is nothing wrong with that.

Same sort of example: If you love a smooth sauce on your pizza and a chunky sauce with your pasta, then blend half and store for your pizza. Don't blend the other half and save for your pasta.

Personally I blend half, leave the other half chunky, and then combine the two.