Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1/2 small onion, peeled but intact
- 1 can tomato paste
- 4 ounces (1 tomato-paste can's worth) red wine
- 4 leaves fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 pounds meatballs or Italian pork sausage, browned in a skillet
Preparation
Step 1
1. Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until golden brown. Remove and discard. Add tomato paste and stir into oil. Fill tomato-paste can with wine, swish it around to get excess paste, and pour into pot. Add basil, salt and pepper, turn heat up and stir until liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
2. Add canned tomatoes to the pot, rinsing out each can with water and adding that water (about 2 cups) to the pot. Adjust heat so sauce simmers slowly, and cook, with the lid askew, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick and silky, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add browned meat and cook for up to an hour longer.
3. Serve sauce with pasta and place the meatballs or sausage on a separate platter.