Collin Goodine

Special to The Lake Report

Last week we featured a recipe for Italian-style meatballs, so I thought I would share with you a very simple, but tasty tomato sauce. After all, how can you have spaghetti and meatballs without the sauce? 

This one can be used as an everyday sauce, whether for meatball subs, pasta, lasagna, eggplant Parmesan or just a dip for arancini. Or it can be used as a base/mother sauce for your more complex sauces like bolognese, arabiatta, puttanesca or even in soups. it can also be stored, frozen or jarred. 

Whatever you decide to use this tomato sauce for, please have fun making it and enjoy.

Homemade tomato sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil 

1/4 cup olive oil 

2 chopped red peppers

1 large white onion

1 large red onion

9 cans (28oz) good quality Italian whole tomatoes, peeled with basil

3 cans water

1 cup salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 large carrot

Directions:

In a large, thick-bottomed pot heat the two oils, chopped peppers and onions. Allow them to simmer for 20-30 minutes.

While the vegetables are simmering, place all other ingredients except the carrot into another large pot and simmer.

When the peppers are tender, add the oil mixture to the tomato mixture and stir to incorporate.

Put the carrot into the sauce and push to the bottom.

Allow the tomato sauce to simmer until the carrot is very soft and overcooked. 

Turn off the sauce and puree with a stick blender or a food processor until you reach your desired texture. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste.