Tomato season is approaching here in Sicily, and in a few weeks I’m going to show you how to can the best tomato sauce ever! But for now, I received some organic cherry tomatoes and decided to make some tomato sauce …..what else can I do, I married an Italian! =)

So here they are….aren’t they beauties?

Ingredients you will need:

(You can cut the recipe in half if the quantity is too large to consume, but don’t forget you can share some with friends and family or freeze it =)

– 10 lbs of cherry tomatoes

– 4 to 5 large bay leaves

– 2 to 3 TBSP of BOTH dry oregano AND basil

– Olive oil

– 1 cup of red wine

– 1 large red onion, sliced

– 5 to 7 large cloves of garlic, crushed

– 1 cup of arugula, washed and chopped

– Salt\pepper, to taste

Directions:

Wash and cut the tomatoes in half. Set aside.

Wipe the board using paper towels. Peel and crush the garlics. Set aside.

Place half of the tomatoes in a blender, along with the garlic, and blend for about 10-15 seconds. Pour into a stock pot. Place remaining tomatoes on top along with the basil, bay leaves, oregano, 2 TBSP of olive oil, wine and salt. Cover and bring to a boil.

As soon as it starts boiling, lower the heat to medium low and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate the flavors. Let simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, stirring periodically.

During the 20 minute simmer, sauté the red onions in 1 TBSP of olive oil and set aside. In addition, wash and chop the arugula (if not already done).

After the 20 minute simmer, using a potato masher that’s heat proof, smash the cooked tomatoes so that they break apart a bit.

Add the onions and arugula. Stir to incorporate and leave to simmer another 20-30 minutes or until desired thickness of the sauce is achieved.

……….Ahhh! There you have it…basking in all it’s glory waiting to be married to your pasta!

And the best part is that this sauce tastes even better the next day! So make enough for left overs and give some to your neighbors!

Buon Appetito!

Wanita =)