My freezer is constantly stocked with a few staples: pork chops, homemade chicken stock, and ice cream. (Just being honest here!) I also try to freeze servings of soups or stews I make for quick meals when the fridge is empty and there’s no time to cook, like the dumplings I made previously. With the abundance of roma tomatoes, I decided to add another item to the freezer stash.  Whether heated over spaghetti and meatballs or used in place of canned sauce, this is great to have on hand. The fact that it’s based on a recipe from my Grandma guarantees that it’s going to taste great, though not as good as she would have made it!

Start by dunking the fresh roma tomatoes in boiling water until the skins split.  After they cool, the skins can be removed.  Afterwards, add to a big pot with some onion, green peppers, tomato paste, garlic, and some herbs and simmer for a few hours.

Not the most photo-friendly dish, but trust me when I say it tastes better than it looks.

If you’re looking for a meat sauce, simply brown the ground meat of your choice in the pot along with peppers and onions in the second step below!

Tomato Sauce, adapted from a family recipe

INGREDIENTS:

1 quart roma tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic
5 leaves basil, snipped
1 small can tomato paste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Blanch tomatoes and remove skins.
2. Sautee onion and pepper in oil in a large pot until softened.
3. Add tomatoes and all other ingredients. Cook over low heat for at least 3 hours.