Did you ever think of making your own tomato sauce? It’s so easy! And your kitchen will smell like an Italian restaurant!

The produce co-op I participate in gave me an entire case of grape tomatoes!! Holy Coconino, what else would you do possibly do with an entire case? I hate letting things go to waste so that’s where this sauce comes in. I used every last one of these babies.

I have made this sauce many times, but always with large tomatoes that needed to be peeled & deseeded. This was my first time with only grape tomatoes, and MAN! It came out so good! So full of flavor. Start by heating a couple tablespoons of olive oil to a large dutch oven. Rough chop 1/2 an onion, a couple large carrots & 2-3 stalks of celery. (The chopping doesn’t have to be even because the whole pot will be blended after cooking.) Let the veggies sauté on low for a couple minutes while you inspect the tomatoes.

Wash & go through all the little tomatoes to make sure the tops have been removed & there aren’t any little guys with bad spots hanging around. Add them to the pot with the veggies. Add in 6 deseeded mini peppers. Pour in 3 cups of chicken stock (or bone broth!), 1 cup of a good red wine, and then some fresh herbs. My local grocery store was out of thyme so this batch only got oregano & basil. Cover. Let it simmer on the lowest setting for 2-2.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Once the sauce looks similar to this, and you’ll know it’s done because of the aroma (it’s awesome!), then take the sauce off the heat. Before blending, add in the dried herbs that you would like. I used some Italian seasoning, a little dried garlic, and also some of my favorite garlic pepper seasoning. Use the fantastic invention of the immersion blender to obliterate all the little veggies. Be sure to get all the lumps if you want a smooth sauce. Taste test to make sure the seasoning levels are appropriate. Now add 2 tablespoons of honey to take off that acidic edge. The sauce should be perfect & you can use it in your favorite pasta dish!

Side note: I store any remaining sauce in mason jars in the freezer with labels. Just be sure to leave an inch or more of space at the top so the sauce can expand when frozen. Then set it on the counter the night before you are going to use it & VOILA! Fresh, homemade tomato sauce with no preservatives or funky chemicals. SO GOOD!