quickest red sauce you'll ever make

i've always been a fan of light and fresh red sauces over the heavy, thick greasy sauces you sometimes see. this sauce is on the thin side but it's just how i like it. if you prefer a thicker sauce, a small can of tomato paste would do the trick.

a tasty red sauce doesn't need to simmer for 8 hours to be delicious. the use of the San Marnzano tomatoes give this quick sauce a fresh flavor that will rival any other!

1 28 oz. can of whole, peeled San Marnzano tomatoes (these tomatoes are KEY)  
3-4 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried basil (you can use fresh here)
olive oil (or your choice of fat)
salt & pepper
pinch of hot pepper flake

saute the onion over medium heat in the olive oil. cook for 5-7 minutes until the onions get translucent. while they are cooking, season with salt, pepper, bay leaf, basil and hot pepper flake. **if you are using fresh basil, add this as the final ingredient, only minutes before serving. next, add the garlic and cook for just a minute.

next add the tomatoes. using a potato masher, mash each tomato once or twice. i like a chunky sauce, so mash more if you like it less chunky. let this cook for 10 minutes or until you are ready to serve!

at this point, i added a pound of sausages that i had browned.

i served it over a roasted spaghetti squash. it was quite a hit with George!

enjoy!