Let's Talk About "Gravy"

Gravy is a term that some people use to refer to hand-crafted tomato sauce. It implies that said sauce did not come out of a can, but rather was painstakingly prepared over the course of several hours. I have never used the term "gravy", but when I think of tomato sauce, I don't think of Prego. I think of tomato paste, like the can pictured above, whole canned tomatoes, onions, garlic, and a kitchen that smells absolutely heavenly. I love to put on a pot of tomato sauce and then freeze what's left over, so I have some on hand for pizza and pasta dishes.
I know that canned sauce is very convenient, but who the hell knows what they put in there. Usually it's a lot of additives that rack up the calories. Real tomato sauce should have no more than 5 or 6 ingredients, and as a result, it will be low in fat and full of lycopene, which is an important free radical phytochemical that fights free radicals (Thanks, Lori). If you want, you can start with actual tomatoes and cook them down or some such nonsense. Instead, I do what my mom did and I take some important shortcuts. The only time-consuming part of my tomato sauce recipe is the time it sits on the stove. This recipe is super easy and super delicious. So, grab a knife and a pot and prepare to impress the hell out of your friends.



Tomato Sauce
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
an onion
four cloves of garlic
2 cans of tomato paste
2 cans whole tomatoes
fresh basil
oregano

1. Drizzle olive oil in a large pot, add onions and sauté until brown, then add the garlic and sauté for a few more minutes over medium-high heat. Be careful not to scorch the bottom of the pan, as you will regret it later if you do.
2. In a bowl, mix the 2 cans of tomato paste with the equivalent of 2 cans of water. You want to stir this together pretty well. Pour it into your pot in a technique the chefs like to call de-glazing.
3. Open up the canned whole tomatoes and add them to the pot. This is the point where you have a decision to make. To squish or not to squish. I personally like to squish the whole tomatoes in my hand, it breaks them up and makes a thinner, smoother sauce. If you like your sauce to be chunkier, don't bother getting your hands dirty.
4. If you are using dried basil or oregano, you can add it now. If you are using fresh, wait until about 10 minutes before serving before adding it to your sauce.
5. Stir well and cook over very very low heat for at least 2 hours. You want the sauce to be hot, with steam coming out, but you don't want it to be at a full simmer. A couple of bubbles piercing the surface is all we're looking for here.

Serve over your favorite pasta. I promise that I will take a shot and fresh vegan pasta some day. I love home-made pasta, but it almost always has eggs in it, so I don't eat it since The Revolution.

serves: at least 8; I have no idea how many calories are in this, but it's basically like eating a tomato with, at most, half a tablespoon of olive oil