1 can (28 oz.) Italian plum tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed or 2 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried basil or oregano
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. finely chopped Italian parsley
1 to 2 c. finely chopped onions

To make the tomato sauce, seed the tomatoes, if desired and crush them with your hands or a fork in a heavy nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, basil or oregano, Italian parsley, onions and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and flavorful, 30 minutes to 1 hour or all day for full rich flavor. Remove from the heat. (The sauce may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 4 months.)

Italian parsley is sometimes hard to find in the grocery but VERY EASY to grow even inside during the winter months. For a "meatier" sauce, chop the tomatoes into thick chunks and drain the liquid before adding to the mixture.