Looking for some vitamin C? Look no further than a juicy red or yellow tomato. Tomatoes come in many varieties. Try making this sauce with several different types to see how the flavor may change. This sauce could be frozen to use in the winter months when fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes are not available in Wisconsin. Make this sauce ahead of time and pair with spaghetti squash or your favorite pasta for a quick meal. 

Ingredients

10 ripe tomatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons spreadable butter 1 onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 2 carrots, finely chopped 4 cloves of garlic, minced ¼ cup Burgundy wine ¼ cup chopped fresh basil ¼ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning 2 stalks of celery 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons tomato paste 

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. 

Plunge whole tomatoes in boiling water until skin starts to peel, about 1 minute.  

Remove with a slotted spoon and place in ice bath. Let rest until cool enough to handle, then remove peels and squeeze out seeds. 

Chop 8 tomatoes and puree them in a blender or food processor until smooth. Chop remaining two tomatoes and set aside. 

Heat butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic; cook and stir until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Pour in pureed tomatoes, then stir in chopped tomatoes, wine, basil and Italian seasoning. Place celery stalks and bay leaf in the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. 

Stir in tomato paste; simmer for an additional 2 hours. Discard celery and bay leaf and serve. 

Nutrition facts

Servings: 6 | Per serving: 149 calories | Protein: 2.9g | Carbohydrates: 15g | Dietary fiber: 4g | Sugars 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 105mg 

Recipe provided by Michelle Eaton, C.D., Registered Dietitian, ThedaCare, compliments of allrecipes.com.  

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