Marinara Sauce *

This is a basic marinara sauce that I came up with, trying to keep it a natural and simple as possible.  The carrots will disintegrate in the sauce as it cooks but replaces adding any sugar to balance out the acid in the sauce.  Keeping it natural.  I like my onions minced, but my husband and kids do not like chunks of anything, so if you have the same type of family members, use a lemon zest grater to grate and pulverize the onion and carrots so they also disintegrates into the sauce but still provides the flavor.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

•     32 oz whole tomatoes (use San Marzano for best quality)
•     1 small can tomato paste
•     4 garlic cloves, minced
•     2 carrots finely grated
•     1 tsp red pepper flakes
•     1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
•     3 Roma tomatoes
•     1/2 cup olive oil
•     3/4 cup minced onion
•     1/2 cup red wine

Directions:
Heat olive oil. Add grated carrots and chopped onion and some sea salt and cook until very soft, about 15 mins.

Add garlic, red pepper flakes and red wine and cook for about 3 mins.

Empty can of whole tomatoes with juice.  Take each whole tomato and poke your thumb in it before squeezing the living daylights out of it (so it doesn't squirt all over you) or simply use potato masher and smoosh it into pieces.  I like to use my hands, it's therapeutic and a great stress reliever!  Plus kids LOVE to do this.

Add chopped Roma tomatoes and the dried seasonings.

Simmer for about 45 mins.  Add small can of tomato paste and cook for another 15 mins.

Add fresh basil cut into small pieces or torn.

Serve over pasta, chicken or as a dipping sauce.

Put it into quart sized bags, laid flat in freezer and have all winter long.