Servings:  5 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 30 - 45 minutes

Hands up in the air if you love tomato sauce! Now hands up in the air if you’ve ever thought about making your own and then learned just how much work it is and grabbed a jar instead?

When I first went on the hunt to make my own sauce I thought I was in for a messy, long experience. Doesn’t dunking a tomato in boiling hot water, chucking it in ice, and then peeling off the skin, de-seeding it, and THEN cooking it sound like a (delicious) lot of mess and work?

Besides, like most vegetables, much of the nutritional value in a tomato is in the skin. In fact, there are 2.5 times more lycopene - a cancer fighting, heart healthy, disease butt-kicking antioxidant that makes tomatoes such powerhouses -  in the skin than the pulp. Peeling tomatoes, to me, seemed like a waste of both time and antioxidants.

Speaking of antioxidants, the best ways to increase absorption of this antioxidant are also amazingly delicious. Since lycopene is fat-soluble, eating tomatoes with fat(aka: some olive oil on) increases its potency. Cooking tomatoes also can increase the antioxidant levels by62 percent! Which means tomato sauce is a winning combo: delicious and amazing for you.

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, warm oil over medium heat.

2. Add garlic and cook until slightly golden.

3. Add tomatoes. If using cans, also include juice. Add in basil, oregano, and wine. Add in ½ teaspoon salt or ¼ teaspoon pepper.

4. Bring to simmer and cook until tomatoes fall apart and sauce thickens. As tomatoes cook, it will be easier to mash whole tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.

5. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until sauce thickens to your preference. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.  

6. If you prefer a creamier, less chunky texture, allow sauce to cool and blend.

7. Most important step: enjoy!
   
   

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

• About 2 pounds of tomatoes, or one 28 ounce cans of whole or diced tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons chopped basil

• 1 tablespoon oregano

• ¼ cup red wine

• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

• ¼ teaspoon pepper, or to taste

• ¼ teaspoon red chile flakes (optional)