VEGETABLE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

With the abundance of tomatoes in the garden along with preferring homemade spaghetti sauce over store bought brands, I recently made a big batch of sauce.  I like my sauce to have vegetables and not just be concentrated tomato paste.  I freeze batches in generous one cup portions and I was able to freeze seven containers to enjoy over the next number of months.  

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp oil

2 onions, chopped

5-6 garlic cloves, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 coloured pepper, chopped

6 - 8 mushrooms, sliced 

1 small to medium size zucchini, chopped

15  tomatoes, skinned, and quartered

1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes

handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into strips

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large stock pot heat the oil on medium high heat, add  the onions, garlic and celery, reduce the heat to medium and saute for 7 to 10 minutes.  

Add the rest of the ingredients except the basil, cover the pot with a lid, heat to a boil and then reduce to simmer.  Add the basil in the last half hour of cooking.  Because you are reducing the water content in the sauce I like to stir the pot every 20 to 30 minutes.   Let it simmer for 2.5 hours or until you feel the sauce is concentrated enough.  Makes about 8 generous cups of sauce.