Red Wine Marinara Sauce for Pasta

This makes a wonderful meatless spaghetti sauce as well as a sauce for Chicken Parmesan, lasagna, and baked ziti. If you have family members (like my husband) who don't care for the carrots and celery, you can leave them out. The sauce is *almost* as good without them. :) I like to double the recipe and freeze the extra.

Makes 4 side-dish servings.

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion (1 large onion)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/4 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1/4 cup sliced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes or one 14 1/2-ounce can of tomatoes
1/2 of a 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 tsp. snipped fresh basil or 3/4 tsp. dried basil, crushed
2 tsp. snipped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. snipped fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1 tsp. snipped fresh marjoram or 1/4 tsp. dried marjoram, crushed
2 tsp. snipped fresh parsley or 3/4 tsp. dried parsley, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup dry red wine
Hot spaghetti or other pasta

Method:
1. In a large skillet cook onion, sweet pepper, carrot, celery, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in fresh or undrained canned tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, parsley, the bay leaf, wine, sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. If necessary, uncover and simmer 10-15 minutes more or to desired consistency; stir occasionally.

2. Remove bay leaf and, if you're anything like me, add a little more wine and stir well.

Reference:
This recipe is based on one found in the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book.
Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen (1996). Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. Meredith Publishing Group: Des Moines, IA.