Weeknight Tomato Sauce

WEEKNIGHT TOMATO SAUCE

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree (I like smooth sauce, so I used pureed tomatoes)
2 TBSP of butter

optional:
basil or oregano
ground beef or turkey 

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil in a heavy wide pot (Dutch oven is best) over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir often and adjust heat to prevent the garlic from burning (this can happen fast!) Cook just until onions are translucent and soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium.

Add tomato paste and cook 1 to 2 minutes.

Add canned tomatoes. Simmer over medium-low heat until thickened slightly, about 45 minutes. Stir it every so often. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add butter at the end to add a little richness. You can also add fresh basil or oregano for the last few minutes of cooking and then remove when serving. If you’d rather use dry basil or oregano, add it when you cook the onions and garlic.

Note: You can also make this a meat sauce by adding 1lb ground beef or turkey (and browning it in the pan with the onion and garlic) before you add the tomato paste.