Basic Tomato Sauce

• MAKE-AHEAD
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2. 1 Spanish onion, chopped in 1/4-inch dice
3. 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4. 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
5. 1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
6. Two 28-ounce cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
7. Salt

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and serve. This sauce can be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 6 months.