Fast & Easy Tomato Sauce - vegan & gluten free

Today's recipe is all about ease. And versatility. And speed. And tastiness.

Pasta is one of those staples that I reach for on nights that I am tired, pressed for time, and/or uninspired. Taking an extra 10 minutes to make a fresh tomato sauce elevates it quite a bit, and since a lot of pre-made sauce has sugar (and other strange things) in it, making my own also makes it healthier. More like Real Food.

Fast & Easy Tomato Sauce - vegan & gluten free 
Here is a basic recipe, but the opportunities for variation are endless. Feel free to add in any other herbs or  veggies you have on hand. A couple spoonfuls of tomato paste is an option for thickening it. You can start the onions, set the pasta water over heat, and have everything ready at roughly the same time.

1 medium onion, diced
olive oil
1 (29-32-ounce) can plum tomatoes, chopped, or diced tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
fresh or dried herbs

In a large skillet or saucepan, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, sprinkle with salt, and stir to coat. Cook until softened and slightly translucent. If you're adding any veggies like peppers or carrots, add them now and saute briefly.

Add tomatoes. You can either drain them before adding them, or add the whole can and it's juices. It depends on how thick you'd like your sauce. Without any liquid, it will be super chunky; will all the liquid it may be too watery and need to be cooked down. The best option may be to drain the tomatoes but reserve the liquid so you can add some as you'd like. Bring the whole thing to a boil, and allow to simmer until the pasta is ready or until it's reached your desired thickness.

Season with salt, pepper, and/or other herbs you'd like. Some obvious Italian herbs like oregano, basil, and rosemary work, but so does adding in some chile or red pepper to spice things up, fresh parsley, or even savory spices like nutmeg. Play around, and you can create many "different" pasta sauces.