Homemade Tomato Sauce...easy and healthy

I love tomato sauce any time of year but especially in the summer when I can load it up with fresh vegetables.

The problem is the tomato.

This time of year is just a bit early for great fresh tomatoes. The stuff at the grocery store just won't work. Also, the best tomato for sauce is a roma or plum tomato because they have more meat and less juice and seeds. So......shock of shocks......I use canned tomatoes.

These guys are a good alternative to fresh and they are canned without a lot of juice. What I suggest you do is pour the contents through a mesh strainer over a bowl allowing the watery juice to drip into the bowl. Take the tomatoes and cut then into thirds or fourths and keep them with the thicker juice that did not drip through into the bowl. Set this aside.

Coarsely chop three pieces of bacon and fry in a deep sauce pan. When cooked remove the bacon and set aside. To the bacon grease, add a small onion and half a bell pepper diced. Cook until barely tender then add two medium sized zucchini that have been peeled and diced. You may need to add one or two tablespoons (or more) of olive oil because you may not have enough grease and you don't want this stuff to brown. Now add fresh rosemary, about two tablespoons minced; and add two cups of chopped fresh basil. Stir that around for a minute or so then add two cloves of minced garlic. Stir until the garlic is aromatic but not brown.

Put the tomatoes and the thick juice into the pan with the vegetables and add the bacon. Stir to incorporate. I then add about 3/4 cup of dry red wine. Instead you could add the thinner juice from the can but why would you want to skip the wine? (You may want to add some heat to it by adding a teaspoon or less of red pepper flakes).

Bring all this to a low boil then reduce to a simmer. Taste it to see if it needs salt and pepper (it will need pepper, maybe not salt). Cover and simmer on very low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with penne pasta and fresh Parmesan cheese.

I like to make this a day or so ahead of time as the flavors will meld together better in the fridge over night.

Tip:

Later in the summer when fresh tomatoes are easier to find I'll make a version of this with fresh tomatoes but I will blend it into a creamy sauce which freezes great. Remember with fresh tomatoes you want to discard the seeds and most of the juice.

Whether you use canned or fresh tomatoes I think you will enjoy this, chunky or smooth!

What do I pour with this? Nero d'Avola is a red wine variety from Sicily that is not too tannic so it won't fight the acid in the tomato. From France I would drink the young reds from the Cote du Ventoux appelation or one of the "cru" wines from Beaujolais such as Morgon or Moulin-a-Vent. From America? I suggest sweet tea.