Nona's Homemade Vegetarian Tomato Sauce
Call it red sauce, spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, or… if you're really traditional… gravy. But at its core, it’s the basis for just about every delicious Italian recipe you’ve ever had. A true, from scratch, right from the old country Italian tomato sauce that’s going to blow your mind.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 24 ounce tomato sauce
- 30 ounces diced tomatoes
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine
- 2 bell peppers order of lowest to highest sweetness, bell peppers range from green, yellow, orange to red
- 1 onion yellow preferred
- 7 garlic cloves 6 to 8 cloves
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp Italian seasoning if tomatoes are plain
Instructions
- Add 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to a medium stock pot, 4-6 quart size will do in this case.
- Heat oil on medium and when heated, add peppers and stir. Let cook 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add onion and stir. Add a few dashes or a few grinds of salt and stir. Let cook for another 3 minutes.
- With your large spoon or spatula, sweep out a clear circle in the center of your veggies and add the garlic. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add your red wine and stir thoroughly until it begins to bubble.
- Let the wine boil for a minute or so and then reduce heat to low.
- Add your canned sauce, paste, and diced tomatoes, stir thoroughly.
- Add your dry ingredients – sugar, red pepper flakes, garlic, and salt. Also add Italian seasoning if you have it.,
- Extra tip: if you have fresh herbs, add 3 or 4 basil leaves and several oregano leaves. Rub them through your fingers a bit to bruise and release the flavors. Stir in and cover.
- Let the sauce simmer for at least an hour. Check for taste and add additional spices for flavor. Note that the longer the sauce can simmer before serving, the better.
Notes
- So much of this sauce is really to taste. I’ve included suggested amounts of ingredients here, mainly the dry. But you’ll want to taste test after an hour. If you wish to, kick it up with more red pepper. If you want less kick, add a bit of sugar or more garlic powder. It’s really up to you and what tastes good.
- For those using pressure cookers like an InstaPot, set to cook for 30 minutes and taste-test. If you’re happy, go ahead and serve. If you want to tweak the flavors or add extra ingredients, pressure-cook for another 30 minutes.
- This is a classic family favorite and comes loaded with wonderful flavors and lots of healthy ingredients, including loads of antioxidants from those peppers! That’s it, easy as pie!
Nutrition
Serving: 8ouncesCalories: 76kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 2gFat: 0.4gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 427mgPotassium: 396mgFiber: 3gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 903IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 2mg
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