My Homemade Tomato, Garlic & Basil Sauce

This is my favourite tomato sauce! I make this when I am cooking Pasta and when we make Pizza!! The only difference for the pizza sauce is that I like to let it simmer slowly for a longer period of time. Whenever I make Lasagna, Eggplant Parmesan, Chicken/Veal Parmesan, Pizza and so forth, this is the tomato sauce I always start with. Number one rule in my kitchen: when your going to make something do it right and with 110% effort. If you don't have what you need to cook whatever meal it may be, don't make it at all ! There is nothing more that I hate when someone is cooking and an ingredient the recipe calls for is missing out of their pantry, so they either disregard that missing ingredient completely or substitute with something else that the recipe does not call for! Another pet peeve of mine is using jared tomato sauce. It is so easy and quick to make your own tomato sauce, so stop using those grocery store labels of jarred tomato sauce that come pre-seasonsed and use this! I promise you will be happy :) Heres what you will need:

- 4/5 Large size field tomatoes (peel the skin off and puree them at home until they are of sauce-like consistency) - this is going to be your tomato component of the sauce - perfectly fresh!!
- 2 medium/large sized garlic cloves (depending on how much garlic you prefer), thinly chopped
- 1 medium sized white onion (also thinly chopped)
- 1 Jalepano pepper (cut into small pieces - for a kick of spice!)
- Fresh basil (cut in small pieces or you can tear it up by hand for a rustic touch)
- EVOO
- S&P

*First, drizzle some EVOO in the bottom of the sauce pan and throw in your thinly chopped onions on a medium-high heat until they become translucent (a little trick: to speed up this process you can add a pinch of salt, it allows the juices from the onions to come out a little faster)
*Once you see the onions are translucent, add in your garlic and your hot pepper and let it brown just a little bit (be sure your garlic does not burn, if it does it will taste bitter)
*Next, add in a tiny touch of white wine to deglaze the sauce pan (just a touch, if you put too much your sauce will be runny)
*After the wine goes in, your going to add your strained/pureed tomatoes and stir everything together
*Add some Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
*Let all of this come to a slow simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring it occasionally so it does not stick & your done!!