This is a great basic recipe to which you can add your own variations.

Ingredients

• 2 large onions
• 4-6 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or 2x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1. Peel and finely chop the onions.
2. Crush, peel and mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and garlic and cook over a moderate heat for 5-7 minutes until the onions are soft and the garlic fragrant.
4. Add the tomatoes and break up whole tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the sugar and red wine and simmer uncovered for approximately 30 minutes until the mixture is thick.
5. Season well with salt and pepper.

Variations

1. Add slices of lean bacon, finely diced to the onion mixture.
2. Add 2 slices of finely diced ham to the onion mixture.
3. Add 1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, rosemary, garlic, oregano, marjoram or thyme.