My husband has perfected an easy tomato sauce recipe that's much better than any jarred sauce we've tried. We use it to top our calzones, but it can also be used for pizza or pasta. It makes enough to freeze.


Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated with a microplane
2 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes, such as Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Tomatoes or Pomi
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
Italian seasoning, such as Penzey's Pizza Seasoning, to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional ingredients:
Fresh herbs, chopped, such as basil, thyme or parsley
½ cup red wine
Splash of Balsamic vinegar (use to deglaze the pan after onions and garlic are sautéed, then add tomatoes and seasoning)

In a large, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion. Sauté until onion is golden and soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper


Calzones

Baked calzones can be frozen, wrapped in aluminum foil. Serves four.

1 package prepared pizza dough, such as Trader Joe's brand whole-wheat pizza dough
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
About two cups vegetables, such as:
-spinach, sautéed, with excess water squeezed out
-sliced mushrooms sautéed in olive oil until soft
-roasted red peppers
-fresh, raw green peppers, chopped
-canned black olives, sliced
-raw broccoli florets
-cornmeal
2 cups tomato sauce (see recipe, above)

1. If you have a pizza stone, place it in oven on middle rack. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut pizza dough into four quarters. Dust a pizza peel or sheet pan with cornmeal. Working with one quarter of pizza dough at a time, stretch or roll dough into an oval shape, about eight inches wide and ten inches long and one-half inch thick. Do not knead the dough, as this will make it less stretchy.
3. Lay dough on peel or sheet pan. On one half of the dough, arrange about ½ to ¾ cup vegetables, leaving about a half-inch border of dough exposed. Sprinkle with cheese and 1 to 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce. Fold the exposed half of the dough over the toppings and pinch to seal, beginning in the center and working out towards the corners. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
4. If using a pizza stone and peel, transfer calzones to pizza stone. If using sheet pan, place pan in oven. Bake for about 12 minutes or until calzones start getting golden and crisp.
5. To serve, top each calzone with about ½ cup tomato sauce.

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