Basic Veggie Marinara

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and zucchini and toss in oil. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to turn translucent.

2. Add garlic, rosemary, parsley, oregano, basil and pepper(s). I usually use fresh basil and dried everything else, but experimentation is fun. Sometimes I add thyme, too. The only warning I can offer is that much more rosemary than that seems to overpower the sauce.

Once you’ve added your herbs, stir the pot for another minute or two.

3. Pour in the wine. Listen to it sizzle! Stir for another minute or two again.

4. If your tomatoes are diced, toss them into the pan, liquid and all. If not, drain them first, then break them up with your spoon or spatula while they cook. (Alternatively, make a huge mess by crushing individual tomatoes in your fist. It’s therapeutic.)

5. Add tomato sauce, salt and sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours or until you’re happy with the consistency. Longer simmers lead to thicker sauce.

Once the sauce has thickened, you’re done. Serve over pasta or on a cubesteak sandwich, or cold as a dipping sauce with batter-fried veggies. Cook up with ground beef and rice and use it for stuffed peppers or cabbage roles. The sky’s the limit!

It freezes really well and keeps for a long time in the fridge, but I haven’t tested its fridge-longevity past a month or so. You could probably can it but I haven’t attempted that yet.

For variety, you can include summer squash or mushrooms in place of (or in addition to) zucchini, or add a diced green or colored bell pepper in the initial step.

You can also use diced carrot, although it seems to disintegrate during cooking. Add a dash or cayenne pepper or some Tabasco sauce for a spicy version. If you have home-canned tomatoes, try using those!