CALVINE: Homemade Pasta Sauce in 10 Steps

I got home early last night and was in the mood to cook. So cook I did. I also took pictures along the way (Remember when I told you I'd gotten my real camera and would therefore be taking better pictures? Sorry that hasn't happened yet.)

I decided to go ahead and make a big batch of pasta sauce that I could freeze in smaller batches for nights when I don't feel like cooking (but as usual, still want high quality, homemade food). If you'd like to make your own large batch of pasta sauce, just follow along my handy dandy picture guide:

You will need: olive oil, 1 large yellow onion, 2-3 small carrots or 1-2 large ones, 1 red pepper, 1/4 cup white wine, 2 28 oz. cans of tomatoes (San Marzano is the best), salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano (optional: see previous post)

1. Finely dice your onion.

2. Heat up large stock pot. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Let it heat up, then add your onions and stir.

It will start to smell really really good in your kitchen. Do not let that deter you from continuing to chop. Occasionally stir the onions.

3. Dice carrots. I think you want about half the amount of carrots that you have onions, but it depends how sweet you want your sauce. I like it nice and sweet, so I add quite a lot of carrots. Be sure to keep these particularly small. Also, scrub your carrots instead of peeling them - the peel has the most flavor and vitamins, so it is best to keep that. Plus, they are getting boiled, so who cares if they are a little dirty, right?

4. Stir carrots into onions, which by now have softened up quite a bit, and are even beginning to brown. Oh, the smell.

5. Dice your pepper. Same size as the carrots and onion.

6. How did you guess? Add the red pepper to the pot.

7. Add the wine to the pot to get all the good brown bits off the bottom. Let it boil up and reduce. I have no idea if this is the right time to add the spices, but it is when I did it. Large pinch of salt, medium pinch of pepper, and medium pinch of red pepper flakes into the pot and stirred.

8. Open your cans of tomatoes. Pour them in once wine has reduced a fair amount. Careful of the splatter effect on your white shirt.

9. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer for however long you'd like. I think I kept mine going for about 45 minutes. Longer may be better, just do it until it feels and tastes like real sauce.

10. Adjust seasonings. Add oregano or basil if you'd like. I like to wait on the basil until serving.

And that's it! Pasta sauce in 10 easy steps. Pour it into small freezer containers and freeze for your next lazy evening.