Basic Tomato Sauce

So I decided to try my hand at a basic pasta sauce that I can freeze and use over time. I found this on foodnetwork.com It was really easy to make and tastes great! I am going to freeze single servings, frozen the sauce will last up to 6 months.

Basic Tomato Sauce
-Adapted from Everyday Italian - Giada De Laurentiis

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 4 to 6 basil leaves
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

Directions

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. (My food processor is small so I used my blender) Process until smooth. (Blending will significantly lighten the color of the sauce) Continue with remaining tomato sauce. Cool sauce completely and seperate 1-2 cup servings into freezer bags. Freeze up to 6 months