Tomato Sauce for Pasta

gluten free / vegan
The beauty of this recipe is that you can leave out or substitute so many of the ingredients and it will still be wonderful! If you have a bumper crop of tomatoes in your garden, you can make this and freeze in ziplock bags.
Picture
Ingredients
olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 - 6 tomatoes, diced and peeled  (may substitute canned)
3 tbsp tomato paste
​​1/2 tsp oregano
​1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
​1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed

2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
​1/4 cup capers

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped fine
  • (If you really want to peel the tomatoes, boil a big pot of water.  With a slotted spoon, dip the tomatoes in the water for only about 20 seconds each.  Remove and dip in ice water until cool.  The skins slide off.) 
Steps
  1. ​In a large pot, add little olive oil, sauté onions and peppers until just translucent over medium-low heat.  
  2. Add in diced tomatoes (drain, if using canned) and seasonings (except fresh basil).
  3. Cook over low heat (uncovered) until tomatoes are tender and some of the liquid has evaporated.​​  Stir in tomato paste and capers and cook a bit longer.
  4. Serve over cooked pasta of your choice, garnished with chopped basil.