Giada’s Marinara

Giada’s Marinara

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil           
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped             
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped         
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper   
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes or equivalent of fresh tomatoes par boiled, peeled & seeded
2 dried bay leaves

In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. I like to blend the sauce to a creamy texture.  Then return to pan to use on pasta.(The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Re-warm over medium heat before using. Sauce also does very well frozen for a few months and just reheat in microwave or on stove top.)

** I make huge batches of this in the fall with my garden tomatoes and freeze it in single use tupperwares.  We affectionately call this "orange noodles," at our house, because the carrots make it a little more orange than red!