My Marinara

Description: This marinara is so delicious that all of my friends use this recipe and none of us buy canned any more. It makes a lot, about 3 meals worth for my family, so use a large pot. I use a 5 1/2 quart pot when making a single batch of this and a 12 quart pot when I make a double batch.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup EVOO

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

2 green onions, sliced

8 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp. dried parsley

1 Tbsp. dried basil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. white pepper

3 medium bay leaves

1 26 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 26 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce

Preparation: Pour EVOO in pot. When heated add onion, bell pepper, garlic and green onions. Cook until onion is transparent and bell pepper turns bright green, about 5 minutes. Add all of the seasonings and stir around for a minute or two. Stir in all 4 cans of tomatoes and then fill each can about half way with water to get what was left in the can. Pour those into pot as well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 2-4 hours. The longer you cook it the deeper the flavors will be. I put a pot on after lunch and it is ready for dinner. I serve it with spaghetti squash when it is in season or whole wheat pasta and homemade meatballs. (Recipe to come later.)

Alternatives: If you like a chunky sauce then use 2 26 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, if you like a smoother sauce then use 2 26 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes. If you like a little more heat add 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper to it as well. To have a wheat free spaghetti night use the spaghetti squash with salt and pepper, to taste, on it or with rice noodles.

Rating: This gets 5 stars from everyone who has ever tried this recipe. I would love to know what you think!