(Quick) Marinara (Sawse)!

I never buy sauce in a jar, I always make it because I've found that my quick marinara sauce recipe is simple & tastes so good, why use store bought? I use the following recipe as sauce for pastas, raviloi or for dinners like baked ziti, stuffed shells, mushroom or eggplant parmigiana as well as a "dip" for calzones & breadsticks... & for homemade pizza:

Quick Marinara Sauce

• 1 TBsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped & diced very small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 TBsp tomato paste
• herbs (whatever's fresh on hand or dried oregano & basil)
• (*red pepper flakes, if desired)
• 2 large cans tomato sauce (or whole tomatoes -blend these)
• 1 can diced tomatoes or freshly chopped, diced tomatoes
• S & P
• 1 TBsp sugar
• 1 bay leaf (take out at end)
• Fresh Basil
• Fresh Parsley

On medium-low, heat the olive oil in the sauce pan. Sweat the onion (saute it until it becomes clear) then add the garlic for one minute. Stir in the tomato paste & herbs & cook for another minute.  Pour in the tomato sauce & diced tomatoes. Sprinkle in S&P to taste, then add sugar, stir. Place in the bay leaf. Simmer for an hour or longer (the longer it simmers, the thicker it gets, & the more the flavors blend together). At the end of the simmering, right before you turn off the stove, pull out the bay leaf with tongs, then add in fresh basil . Top with some fresh, chopped parsley.