Bramasole

Tomato sauce (Italian)

This classic Italian tomato sauce is diverse, it is perfect for pizza, a pasta seasoning, and is also excellent for flavouring meat dishes like stews or meatballs.

1kg ripe tomatoes
2 carrots
1 stalk of celery
1 onion
1 bunch of basil
Extra virgin olive oil
salt

Preparation:
Finely chop (mince) the onion, carrot and celery.
In a pot heat 6 tablespoons of olive oil, add the onion, carrot and celery, and brown.
Add the coarsely chopped tomatoes, chopped basil and salt.
Cook on medium heat for about 2 hours.
After this time, put the sauce through a blender and put it back on the heat to simmer for an hour or more, until it reaches the right consistency.

Measures:
Like all herbs, you should always tear basil into pieces by hand, never chop it with a knife; when basil comes into contact with metal, they say it’s flavour changes, and not for the better.
Taste the sauce: if it proves a bit ‘sour’, you can sweeten it with a pinch of sugar.

Ideas and Variations:
You can prepare the tomato sauce in large quantities to have it there all winter, place in sterilized bottles.