Spaghetti Sauce

Paste tomatoes are a great tomato for making spaghetti sauce, as well as for drying if the mood strikes you. These tomatoes have less water content which means it takes less time to cook them down. 

• 5-6 (medium sized) fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
• 1 (medium sized) white or yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 4-5 tablespoons olive oil
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• black pepper and/or sea salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

1. Add olive oil to a pot over medium-high heat.
2. Finely chop onion, and add to the pot. Allow onion to cook until softened (approx. 10 minutes), but adjust heat to prevent burning or scorching. You want the onion to be at a yellow or light brown color before adding the tomatoes.
3. While the onion is cooking, wash and chop the tomatoes. Once the onion is cooked, stir in the tomatoes and cover the pot.
4. Allow the tomatoes to cook for approximately 20 minutes over medium-high heat, and stir occasionally to prevent scorching.
5. When the tomatoes start to appear cooked, peel and add the crushed garlic (if you do not have a garlic press, you can finely chop the garlic). Also add the oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper as desired. Stir everything together, and then cover the pot again. Reduce the heat to medium. Allow the sauce to cook for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the sauce and add spices as necessary.
6. When the sauce is done, mix cooked pasta into the pot. Allow to cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally in order for the pasta to absorb some of the sauce. Stir in fresh basil and serve.