Not my mama's spaghetti sauce ...

A good tomato sauce is the foundation for so many wonderful dishes - pizza, pasta, chicken, and fish ... and comes in countless variations. Here's my recipe for basic tomato sauce. All of the ingredient amounts are approximate. Add more or less, depending on your personal preferences.

BASIC TOMATO SAUCE
INGREDIENTS:
1 Medium onion, chopped
3 Cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, in puree
1-15 oz. can tomato sauce, with no added sugar
1 tsp. dried basil or 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
I added 2 cans sliced mushrooms, well-drained. I prefer fresh mushrooms, but I didn't have any.
DIRECTIONS:
Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, stirring to mix, while cooking over medium heat. Add basil, oregano, red pepper, parsley and baking soda, continuing to stir. Baking soda may foam up. The baking soda helps to reduce the acidity in your home-made sauce while the addition of sugar only masks the acidity with sweetness. Lower heat to simmer. Add salt, pepper and sliced mushrooms. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Makes about 5 cups of sauce. Freeze any leftover sauce up to 3 months