Eating For Your Future/Homemade Tomato Sauce

My garden has been quite good to me this year with lots of tomatoes and lots of peppers. 

Once my tomatoes begin to really produce, I look forward to homemade sauce. Nothing better in my book! And, it's so very easy to make. While the fresh off the vine tomatoes are optimum, store bought tomatoes will also make a wonderful sauce for your pasta. Once you make a batch, you'll never want to eat a jar of purchased sauce again :)

Here's my recipe;

Homemade Tomato Pasta Sauce

1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 large onion chopped

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons fresh basil slivered 

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

*Heat oil in large pot and add onions. Cook until tender. Add garlic and continue to cook for about 1 minute. 

*Add chopped tomatoes. I do not peel or seed my tomatoes. Over medium heat, bring the tomatoes to a boil. Add sugar. Reduce heat and simmer until the tomatoes have become sauce like, about 20 to 30 minutes. 

*Return mixture to the pot. Add slivered basil. Reheat and serve over your favorite pasta.

I like to grow the small tomatoes, so it takes quite a bit to make my sauce, but, I have plenty. I also combine the red and yellow tomatoes so my sauce is not a deep red.

I like to pour the sauce over either a whole wheat pasta, or one of my favorites, a quinoa and brown rice pasta.

I then top the pasta with roasted pine nuts and fresh chopped chives from my garden.

Then sprinkle on some freshly grated Romano cheese..... 

and then devour!

Any of your favorite meats can be added to the sauce, shrimp, chicken or even an Italian sausage. We almost always have the vegetarian version. Don't tell my husband, but every once in a while, I add chopped anchovies. He says he doesn't like anchovies, but when I add them to the sauce, he always asks for seconds! Mind over matter I guess ;) If you would like a vegan version, just leave off the cheese.  

This past week, I made a wonderful sauce with banana peppers and tomatoes. I'll share that recipe next time!

Enjoy!

Rhonda