Giada's Basic Marinara

No, I don't have a personal relationship with Giada De Laurentiis from the Food Network. But I got two of her books at the library this week, I've tried two recipes, and been happy two times.

I've been frustrated with the lack of consistent success with my marinara sauce. (BTW Jim and Lisa, I really want both of your marinara recipes.) The main differences I see between her sauce and mine is that she uses a lot more olive oil, more onion, and bay leaves. I liked the sauce. The fam liked it, and it's freezable, easy to double, and doctor up into a ton of other sauces.

I don't know where our camera is right now, so no pictures.

Directions

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

I copied and pasted that from her website, so that's why there are all the links. I hope that's not a copyright infringement. It's all about GIADA people. It's not MINE.