COOK & FREEZE ITALIAN SAUCE

I wanted to share this recipe because it has been such a blessing to have in my home. I got this recipe from "Hopkins Healthy Home Cooking" (love that recipe book, by the way!) and made a big batch. I think it cost about $10 total and I got 10 quarts of sauce from it. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

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"Cook up this big batch of Italian sauce and freeze it in quart jars or plastic containers. It makes such an easy meal to take some out of the freezer on a busy day. It can be used as spaghetti sauce, lasagna sauce, pizza sauce, or over noodles for an Italian pasta dish. On a very busy day, just make whole wheat toast, spread with garlic butter, and serve with a bowl of sauce to dip into. Very nutritious with all the 'disguised' vegetables!"

In a HUGE pot, combine:

1 #10 (6 lbs. 6 oz.) can whole tomatoes, pureed in a food processor
1 #10 (6 lbs. 6 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 #10 (6 lbs. 6 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 (10 oz.) packages frozen spinach (optional -- I used one bag)

Process until finely diced in a food processor:

2 broccoli stalks (I omitted b/c I didn't have any)
2 onions
6 cloves garlic
5 carrots
1 stalk celery
1 lb. fresh mushrooms

Season with:

2 bay leaves, broken in half to release flavor
2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. rosemary
1 Tbsp. basil

Mix processed vegetables and spices in the sauce and simmer for at least 45 minutes or until veggies are tender. It tastes even better if you simmer it for a few hours, letting the seasonings bring out their full flavor. Cool thoroughly, scoop into containers, and freeze.