Spaghetti Sauce

For as long as I can remember my mother made pasta sauce as procrastination whenever she was supposed to be working on her book. She made it in her yellow enameled Dansk pot she got from my stepfather Tony. He had these pots in the 50's when he was a bachelor with his own apartment in NYC. Pasta sauce making as procrastination is a family trait now spanning three generations. The results are delicious if not literary.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (cheap at Job Lot)
2-4 small onions, chopped
2-6 garlic cloves, chopped
2-4 stalks celery, chopped
2-4 carrots, chopped
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed (or diced!) tomatoes
2-4 dried bay leaves
a bunch of freshly chopped flat parsley
a few sprigs of freshly chopped basil
a few leaves of fresh or dried oregano
a cup of sliced mushrooms
a cup or two of cubed eggplant with the skin left on
I also like to add a can of pitted black olives, chopped and some diced capers and a small tin of tomato paste. I also add a splash of leftover red wine.

In a large heavy pot, heat the oil. Add the onions and garlic and the celery, and carrots. Saute until all the vegetables are brightly colored, about 10-15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and any other ingredients from this list that you have. Simmer uncovered. Enjoy!

quick tomato sauce

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes or diced
4 to 6 fresh or dried basil leaves
pinch of dried or fresh oregano leaves
2 dried bay leaves