Base Tomato Sauce

This isn’t my favorite brand of tomatoes.  Personally, I’d never use it for a marinara.  But, it makes a perfectly acceptable base sauce.  It has the added bonus of being easy to find.  Wander into just about any Costco, you’ll almost always find a pallet full of these 6 lb cans.

Base Tomato Sauce
makes approximately 6 quarts

1 – 6lb 10oz can whole tomatoes
14 oz tomato paste
1/4 cup olive oil
10-12 cloves garlic, sliced
1 onion, roughly diced
1 teaspoon powdered basil
1 small bunch basil
5-10 large basil leaves

Place a large dutch oven over moderate heat.  Add olive oil.  Swirl pan.  Add sliced garlic.  Allow garlic to turn light golden at the edges.  Add onion.  Sauté garlic and onions another minute or two.  Turn off the stove and set the pan aside.

In a large food processor, puree the bunch of basil and 1/2 of the whole tomatoes in the 6lb can.  Pour these pureed tomatoes into the dutch oven and return to a moderate heat.  The remaining tomatoes can be crushed by hand or finely diced.  Add these diced tomatoes and the rest of the juices from the can to the dutch oven.  Then, add powdered basil.  Bring to a gentle simmer and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add large basil leaves.  Let cool.  Then, divide between 2lb deli containers and freeze.  Use as needed.

Or, transfer it all to a very large crock pot to keep it warm as you begin your favorite ragù.