A little bit Italian...

When I want something REALLY easy to make for dinner I boil some pasta and thaw out some of my home-made marinara sauce!  The process to make the marinara takes a good long while, but it is mainly just simmer time on the stove!  I use this sauce for just regular spaghetti,  baked penne pasta, and for pizza sauce... it could just as easily be adapted for anything where you need a tomato sauce.

To make my marinara you need:
1 BIG can of crushed tomatoes (I usually get the kind with basil already in it)
1 BIG can of diced tomatoes
1 regular can of diced tomatoes (or whole if you like your sauce a little chunkier)
1 small can of tomato paste
2 onions, diced
2 tablespoons EVOO
3 tablespoons of minced garlic
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons dried granulated garlic
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
2-3 bay leaves

Start by heating the oil in a big pot.  Saute the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes.  Add ALL the spices and saute for a few more minutes.  Add all the cans of tomatoes and stir so that all the spices are pretty incorporated with the tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.  Taste your sauce and this point and see if you need more salt, garlic, or basil.  The three flavors should be there when you taste your sauce. I usually end up adding more garlic and basil.  Simmer on the stove for AT LEAST 2 hours, but I usually do a minimum of 3, and stir every 10-15 minutes.   Taste as you go! Sometimes you need more seasoning- don't be afraid to add more seasoning!! If you think your sauce is getting a little too thick, add a little bit of chicken broth or another can of diced tomatoes.  This makes 4 different meals worth of sauce for Billy and I.  I just put the sauce into zip lock bags and then freeze.

I ALWAYS have this in my freezer!  When I open my last bag, I make sure that I make more that day, or the next weekend.

When I am ready to eat, I just take the sauce out and defrost it in some warm water.  Last night I cooked some turkey meat with garlic, parsley, basil, and salt and then added the defrosted sauce for a few minutes before draining and adding the pasta.

The process of making the sauce, not so fast... the process of eating it once defrosted? SUPER fast! (and good!) Yum!