Tomato Sauce v2.0

Those of you who read about my "Rustic Tomato Sauce" some time ago will remember that it quickly became an exercise in improvisation. I didn't really give myself enough time to properly simmer and misjudged my ingredient list. That's not to say that I was disappointed with the result, though; it's just not quite what I had in mind when I set out to make a sauce.

Thankfully, I just don't know when to quit. This week, I present my new and improved Tomato Sauce, version 2.0!

Ingredients:

2 28-oz Cans of Crushed Tomatoes
1 12-oz Can of Tomato Paste

1 Onion

1 Bell Pepper

Oregano

Red Pepper Flakes

Olive Oil

Steps/Analysis:

You should know ahead of time that Tomato Sauce v2.0 is not a quick recipe. Ideally, you should set aside 3-4 hours in order to cook everything low and slow and really marry the flavors. It might be best to tackle this on a weekend.

Don't fret, though, this is an easy recipe that will require minimal attention once you get things going. Stay with me!

First, set a large pot over Medium-High heat and dice the onion and bell pepper. Just like the beginning of my last tomato sauce recipe, you're going to saute the crap out of these in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.

At this point, you should also add the red pepper flakes. I did not use an exact measurement for this step. I like a lot of heat, so I threw in a lot of flakes. Use your best judgment.

Once your vegetables have broken down to the point where they are translucent, turn down the heat to Low or Medium-Low. Open up both cans of crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste and add everything to the pot.

Carefully.

Tomato sauce tends to splash, so don't wear white.

You should also add the oregano now. Again, I did not use a precise measurement. I just added oregano until it looked like "enough." Scientific, I know.

Stir up the pot in order to incorporate everything. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for about 3 hours, or until dinner time.

Check on the pot every once in a while to make sure it's not bubbling over, but, otherwise, that's it!

Serving/Notes:

This iteration of my tomato sauce has a lot more of the saucy qualities I was looking for: a rich, almost sweet flavor and a smoother consistency that sticks more easily to pasta. I'm very happy with the result.

Other than that? Come on, people. There's nothing too mysterious about tomato sauce. Serve it over your pasta of choice and... hey! What are those meaty... ball-looking... things in the picture? Could there be a meatball recipe posted in the near future?!