Fresh Tomato Sauce

I started writing this post last fall, but never finished it. Now with tomato season practically around the corner, it's practically timely!

No pictures for this post, but I wanted to get it up before I misplaced my notes or forgot entirely. This summer has been a great one for tomatoes. I had some success in growing cherry tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes in pots on my deck, and have received a ton in my produce box. Though I love fresh tomatoes in salads and cooked on margarita pizza, we got a lot of tomatoes. So I hit the internet for a tomato sauce recipe. I came across this one from Oh She Glows and doctored it up a bit. It's been a hit both with pasta and on pizza. I especially love it because it cooks up in much less time than my slow cooker marinara sauce

Fresh Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup onion, diced (about 1/2 large sweet onion or 1 small yellow onion)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3 large tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 3 cups diced)
1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1/4 c fresh)
6 oz tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoon brown sugar

Add the oil, onion, and garlic into a medium pot and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Stir in the diced tomatoes and increase heat to high-medium to bring to a low boil. When the mixture boils, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, uncovered, until most of the water cooks off. Stir often to prevent burning and adjust heat as needed to keep a simmer (not a boil).

Stir in tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper, optional red pepper flakes to taste, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar. Continue cooking until thickened to your liking. The sauce will thicken a little more as it cools.

Serve chunky or puree, as desired.