Nonna's Tomato Sauce by Sepps

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 stick celery, roughly chopped
• 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 small shallot or onion, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 x 400g (14.5 oz) cans chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 2 tbsp frozen)
• 400g (14 oz) pasta, for serving

Instructions

1. Blend the carrot, celery, and shallot (or onion) in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the blended vegetables and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
2. While the vegetables fry, blend the chopped tomatoes in the food processor until smooth. Add the blended tomatoes to the pot, along with 1-2 cans worth of water (using the empty tomato cans for measurement).
3. Bring the sauce to a boil, then stir in the baking soda, salt, chili flakes, sugar, and chopped basil
4. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly.
5. Cook your preferred pasta according to package directions. Serve the sauce hot over the cooked pasta