Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 4 -6 basil leaves

Instructions

1. In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

2. Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

3. If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.