Marinara Sauce

One of my biggest pet peeves in the kitchen is when a recipe calls for a miniscule amount of one ingredient, but you can only buy it in a larger, non-resealable quantity at the store. For example, earlier this week I made Shepherd's Pie, which called for 2 tsp of tomato paste, though the smallest container I could find was 6 oz, which contained roughly 10 tbsp of tomato paste, so needless to say, I had some leftover. Not wanting them to go to waste, I decided to make some marinara sauce, which could then be easily frozen for later enjoyment.

Marinara Sauce
Adapted from Betty Crocker "Heart Health Edition Cookbook"
3 cups (roughly 12 servings)

Ingredients:
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

1. In a saucepan, stir all ingredients until well mixed.

2. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for roughly 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Optional Step: If you don't like a chunky marinara sauce, once done, use a food processor to smooth sauce.

4. Either use sauce right away, refrigerate for two weeks, or freeze for up to one year.

5. Enjoy!

Preparing the sauce for freezing!

Nutritional Info per Serving (each serving roughly 1/4 cup):
Calories 33; Total Fat 1g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 65mg; Total Carbs 6g; Protein 1g