Authentic Italian American Marinara Sauce/ Red Gravy

Ingredients

• 10 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, use ones from italy if you can, but any will really do as all crushed tomatoes are canned when the t
• 1 large white onion
• 1/2 head garlic
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/16 cup salt
• 1/16 cup pepper
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup dried oregano
• 8 bay leaves, dried

Directions

1. 1

   Rough chop onion and garlic.

2. 2

   Heat up a large pan on medium heat.

3. 3

   Pour in all of olive oil.

4. 4

   Dump in onion

5. 5

   Saute until soft.

6. 6

   Add garlic.

7. 7

   Add bay leaf.

8. 8

   Add oregano.

9. 9

   Add salt & pepper.

10. 10

    Stir all together into a mess and continue to cook, if it seems to hot, turn down the heat, you don't want to burn anything.

11. 11

    Once everything is well mixed and cooked, turn up the heat for about 1 minute. I tell you to do this as you are about to add the balsamic vinegar to "deglaze" and you will want the pan hot.

12. 12

    Add balsamic, stir quickly while hot steam rises. the vapors should make you eyes water, and nose run, so be careful to remain hygenic. when vapors stop remove from heat.

13. 13

    Open all the cans of crushed tomato.

14. 14

    stir in one can at a time with wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

15. 15

    Once all cans are in, stir well again so you don't see any oil on the top of sauce. return to heat. cook on low heat uncovered, stiring whenever you walk into the kitchen for some other reason. you don't need to stir it every hour, but do it whenever you get around to it. although you do need to stir it from time to time.

16. 16

    Cook for at least five hours. if you want to do this while you go to work, you can transfer everything to a crock pot, but you must start in a big metal pot. Your choice.

17. 17

    Serve over your favorite pasta, or use to cook my meatball recipe, which is highly recomended( look at the reviews). doing my meatballs is particularly easy if you have transfered gravy to a crock pot, but if you do you may need to remove some sauce to fit the balls in the sauce.

18. 18

    Freeze left over sauce, just pour cooled sauce in zip-lock bags and throw in freezer.