Ingredients

Makes 4 cups

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 Spanish onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

　　4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

　　3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

　　1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded

　　Two 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes

　　salt

　　

Step 1

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium 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 until the carrot is quite soft, about 5 minutes.

　　

Step 2

2. Add the tomatoes, with their juice, and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer until as thick as hot cereal, about 30 minutes. Season with salt. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for 6 months.

　　From Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home © 2005 by Mario Batali. Reprinted with permission from Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.Buy the full book from Amazon.