Homemade Italian Red Sauce

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (32 ounce) cans crushed diced tomatoes
• 4 cups water
• 1 (16 ounce) can tomato paste
• 0.25 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Steps

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in tomatoes, water, tomato paste, basil, baking soda, sugar, salt, and pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook at a simmer until sauce is thickened, about 2 hours.