Tomato Sauce Basic (1 Cup/Serving)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
10 Cloves Garlic, sliced lengthwise in half
6 Tbsp Basil, Dried
2 Tbsp Black Pepper
2 Lg Cans Tomatoes, Whole Peeled in Tomato Juice
(102oz)

1. Add 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil to a Large Deep Pot.
2. Add the sliced Garlic.
3. Turn on burner to about medium and slowly brown Garlic.
4. When Garlic is golden brown (DO NOT BURN!), remove.
5. Add the 2 large cans of Whole Tomatoes to pot.
6. Turn the burner up to high.
7. When the contents come to a boil, turn the burner down just a little.
8. Add the Black Pepper and Basil.
9. Cook the contents down to about half of what it currently is.

When browning the Garlic, be very careful not to burn it. If you do, you should start over because the Olive Oil will have a burned flavor.

After adding everything to the Pot, bring it to a boil. When it comes to a boil, lower the heat until it is still boiling, but not a strong boil. It will take several hours to boil down to about half of the original volume. Don't forget to note where the original volume started on the pot.

I will usually cook it for about 5 hours, stirring it every so often and checking the volume. When it has cooled down, it should be fairly thick.

I add no salt because the canned tomatoes have salt. Adjust the amount of Pepper & Basil to your taste.

This is a basic Tomato Sauce which I use for Pizza, Spaghetti Sauce and anything else that needs a Tomato Sauce, like Chicken Cacciatore.

Servings About 12 Cups

Note: The number of servings will depend on how far you reduce the volume.

Number of Servings: 12

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LIMASTAR.