Chunky basil garlic tomato sauce

Stop buying jars of tomato sauce that hardly have enough sauce to go around the table. This recipe for a healthy basil garlic tomato sauce is economic and simple.  Try serving this with recipes like my spaghetti squash and fresh herb meatballs. 

Recipe for chunky basil garlic tomato sauce

Yield: 8 generous servings of sauce

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cans organic diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
• 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
• 8-12+ cloves of garlic minced or pressed
• 1-2 onions chopped
• Handful of fresh herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley) chopped
• Lots of fresh basil (anywhere from 4-8 cups loosely packed leaves)
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons sugar, maple syrup or honey (optional – this keep cut the acidity)

Steps:

1. Heat olive oil in pan and reduce to medium-high
2. Saute onions stirring often until translucent (5 minutes)
3. Add garlic stirring frequently (2 minutes)
4. Then, add wine if using and wait until the wine has reduced and there is no liquid left
5. Add tomatoes and herbs (not basil) and bring to a boil
6. Simmer on medium-low for at least 45 minutes (can simmer real low for up to 2 hours).
7. If there is too much liquid and you want a thicker sauce remove some of the liquid with a ladle.
8. Add chopped basil and turn off the heat.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste