Cooks' Note
If you wish to add meat to the sauce, cut it into bite-size pieces and brown well. Add the meat to the sauce after sautéeing the onion and parsley and increase the amount of time the sauce simmers to about 30 minutes. Served over pasta made from stone-ground wholewheat flour, this would serve 4 to 6.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 3 1/2 cups
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in purée
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preparation
Combine the oil, onion, and parsley in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté until the onion turns translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, celery, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
