Cruising Rich Tomato Sauce Recipe

Directions:

1. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to a large heavy stock pot and heat gently.
2. Add onions, carrots and celery to pot and saute until translucent.
3. Increase the heat slightly and add the tomato paste stirring constantly until the paste browns.
4. Add the flour stirring constantly until it also browns. You will need to stay right with this and adjust heat occasionally to avoid scorching.
5. Add red wine and gently cook until wine evaporates.
6. Add beef broth, cans of tomatoes, sugar and garlic. Cook for approximately 30 minutes until everything is tender. I usually judge this by the carrots.
7. At this point, puree all ingredients. You may use a stick blender, a regular blender or a food processor. Do it in small batches as this gets very hot.
8. Pour puree back into original stock pot, add bay leaves and the other 1/4 cup olive oil. Simmer slowly for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
9. Add basil, salt & pepper & oregano and allow to slowly simmer for 30 minutes prior to serving. The sauce should be rich, dark and slightly thickened. Remember to retrieve and toss the bay leaves before serving.