By Kitty Jay
FoodConnect New York
myhusbandhatesveggies@yahoo.com

My Italian-American Grandmother made the most delicious tomato sauces. Fresh tomatoes and basil from my Grandfather's garden were blended with the perfect blend of olive oil, herbs, and spices, and then slow cooked plain, or with bits of sausage and hunks of beef short ribs, until the enormous pot of thickened, homemade sauce was ready for the table. Making a pot of sauce could often take an entire day, and enough was made so that quart containers could be stored in the freezer, or given as gifts to lucky guests.

I still guard my Grandmother's recipe close to my heart, but sometimes, I don't have the luxury of an entire day of simmering a sauce, and the freezer reserves have run dry.

There is something so summery about a quick pan tomato sauce. The flavor is bright and tangy, and lends itself to lighter summer fare. In a mere 10 minutes you can have a delicious tomato sauce ready to serve, saving the slow-cooked sauces for winter and fall days when you welcome the added kitchen heat. Quick pan sauces take advantage of fresh plucked herbs from the garden - added at the very end of cooking to just heat through, and reserve their brilliant fresh green colors.

Quick Tomato Sauce
serves 4

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano if you can find them!)
1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 handful fresh Italian basil - torn
good extra-virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
salt & pepper

Heat up a large saute pan, and add a good glug of olive oil. Cook the onions (w/ a dash of salt) for a few minutes until they are just softened, and add the garlic. Stir, and allow to cook, for just a minute until the garlic is fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, raise the heat, and bring the mixture to a quick boil. Add another pinch of salt, some fresh cracked pepper, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. It could be 2 minutes, it could be 10. Remove the sauce from the heat, and add your fresh herbs. finish with 2 shakes of red wine vinegar, check for seasonings, and serve.