Basic Red Sauce

My basic sauce recipe is a staple in our house. I make sauce at least twice a week because we eat it on so many things! A big batch of sauce served over chicken and pasta for dinner one night, tops a pizza the next and a bruschetta appetiser the day after that. I love red sauce and it is so good for you, too!

Ingredients
olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1 32 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato paste
salt
pepper
oregano
basil

Put a medium to large size pot on the stove, heat it to medium-high. Add olive oil, enough to generously coat bottom of pot. Toss in crushed and chopped garlic (peel garlic, with side of knife, crush each clove, this releases flavor, then dice the smushy remains). As garlic is just beginning to darken in color, add chopped onion (peel onion, cut in half, place flat side down and then cut in 1/8 inch slices length wise, turn cutting board and repeat). When onion turns yellow throw in can of tomatoes, stir, use same can to add in 1/2 can of water. Add can of tomato paste, stir vigorously until all paste is mixed. Bring sauce to a boil, adding in generous sprinkle of basil, less of a sprinkle of oregano, two-three shakes of salt and the same amount of pepper. Reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes. Voila! Basic red sauce.

Note on seasonings: Start small and season to taste. It is your sauce so taste it! You can always add in more seasonings, but you can't take them out, so start out with small sprinkles. You know what salt and pepper taste like, but here is something about salt you might not know - it draws flavor out of other foods, so use it sparingly, but use. Too much oregano can be bitter, as can too browned garlic - timing is important in this simple sauce.