Basic Marinara

I saw this recipe for sauce in the October 2007 issue of Cooking Light. It's so easy and effortless, yet it tastes delicious. It's pretty much my go-to recipe for sauce now. I do change it up depending on my mood - adding beef, using diced in place of one can of crushed tomatoes, adding veggies, whether I cut the onions into chunks or puree them, using fresh herbs... Regardless, this is one easy recipe, and I almost always have what I need on hand, so I can make this on a whim.

(Tonight, I was in the mood for chunks, no meat.)


Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onion (about 3 medium)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and the next 7 ingredients (through fennel seeds); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.