RICH AND ZESTY RED WINE TOMATO SAUCE

Rich and Zesty Red Wine Tomato Sauce image

Provided by Keiko Larry

Categories Sauces

Time 1h10m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes (can be pre-seasoned if you like)
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
6 -8 whole garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato, chopped
2 -3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 -4 sprigs fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 -2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 -2 tablespoon dried parsley
1 -2 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
salt, to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
1 (750 ml) bottle merlot

Steps:

In a large pot, sweat the chopped onions and garlic in the olive oil over med-low heat.
Add the peeled tomatoes, crushing them with your hands one by one into smaller chunks. Be careful- they squirt all over the place! Make sure to pour in all the liquid in the cans as well. Add all ingredients except salt, cheese, and wine.
Stir all ingredients together. Cover, and increase heat to med-high. Simmer/cook 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the sauce doesn't burn on the bottom.
Add about 1/3 of the bottle of merlot. Add the cheese. Stir, reduce heat slightly and let that cook uncovered for another 15-20 min, stirring occasionally.
Taste and determine if you need salt, and add to taste. For salt with a little tang, add some more cheese, if you have it. Let simmer another 15 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.
During the last simmering stage, cook your pasta.
Serve over pasta (1 ladleful is gracious plenty). Extra sauce can frozen for up to a month. To reheat, let simmer on low uncovered, stirring frequently so the sugar in the merlot doesn't burn.
*Spicy alternative: For a spicier sauce, use shiraz in place of merlot and add 2 tsp of dried red pepper flakes.