Stress Free Mater Sauce

This is our absolute favorite sauce! We make it all summer and freeze extra to enjoy year round. This recipe is designed to be simple. The goal here is to make a delicious sauce with very little work. 

1) Place a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Add butter (enough to coat the bottom thoroughly) and minced or chopped garlic. Heat until the butter is melted and the garlic is just beginning to cook.

2) Add your tomatoes

• If using cherry tomatoes: add them whole.

• If using slicing tomatoes: Remove the core and roughly chop. We leave the skins/seeds but you can remove them first if preferred.

3) Stir occasionally and use your spoon to mash the tomatoes.

4) There are two options for cooking off the excess liquid.

• If you have plenty of time and want to leave the sauce alone: Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally. Depending on the amount of tomatoes, this will take 2+ hours.

• If you don’t mind keeping a closer eye on it: Keep heat at medium or med-high and stir frequently. Be extremely tentative as the bottom of the pot will want to burn as the sauce thickens. This method is not recommended. 

5) As the sauce thickens, add salt and sugar a little at a time to taste. White or brown sugar will work. Add basil.

6) When the sauce reaches desired thickness, remove from heat, serve over pasta, and top with shredded parmesan cheese and more chopped basil.

Storage: Place room temperature sauce into quart zip lock bags and freeze to enjoy farm fresh food year-round. This method works very well if you freeze the bag flat. Once frozen these take up very little freezer space and have a long storage life with none of the hassle of canning. 

Optional Changes: If you prefer a smoother sauce, put it in a blender or food processor after cooking.

Add-ins:

• • 1. Chopped sweet peppers (Jimmy Nardellos are our favorite!)

    2. Cooked ground meat (add at the end)

    3. Onions (add these in before the garlic)

    4. Onion or garlic powder, oregano, and an Italian seasoning blend