Tomato Sauce (New York Rao's Marinara Copycat)

Made with canned tomatoes, this copycat Rao's sauce recipe offers a tangy and herb-loaded marinara, perfect for your favourite Italian dishes.

4 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes with basil, preferably from San Marzano
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 Tbsp. onion, freshly minced (¼ cup + 2 Tbsp.)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
12 leaves fresh basil
¼ tsp. dried oregano
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Remove the tomatoes from the cans and place in a large bowl, reserving juices. Crush tomatoes using your hands; remove and discard the hard core from stem end and any skin and tough membrane; set aside.

In a pot or saucepan, place the olive oil over medium heat. Gently sauté the minced garlic and onion for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, juice included and bring to a boil over high heat.

As soon as the mixture boils, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring often. Around the 1½ hour mark, add the oregano and basil.

Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.