In September 2006 it was time to leave home. I was 19 and off to Brighton to study photography at University. During the lead up to the move my Mum and I’s main topic of conversation was food (of course!) “Do you know how to cook this?” Make sure you leave it simmering for this amount of time.” “Why don’t you take this griddle pan?”

The recipe at the center of it all was tomato sauce. Everyone needs a good tomato sauce recipe. After all students live off pasta right? If I’m honest I can’t really remember that much of my first year (uh-oh) But I do remember we were all really into cooking at flat 13C in halls. And I’m pretty sure I had a pot of this bubbling away most days, alongside the baked bean toasties of course.

I was always taught the longer you leave the sauce cooking the better it tastes. That’s why this sauce gets a good two hours on the hob. This way of cooking makes a sauce so intensely tomatoey that when you taste it you’d be mistaken for being in Italy!

Ingredients

1          Onion

5 or 6  Garlic cloves

3          Tins chopped tomatoes

2tbsp  Tomato puree

1 tsp   Maple syrup

Sprinkling of oregano (dried or fresh)

Sprinkling of basil (dried or fresh)

Salt and Pepper

Olive oil

Method – Makes one big pot (enough for 4-6 people)

1. Finely dice the onion and gently fry in a saucepan with a glug of olive oil until softened. Finely chop the garlic and add to the onion. Leave to cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, seasoning, herbs and maple then stir. Using an empty tin of chopped tomatoes, fill it up with water and pour it into the pan. Bring to the boil then let simmer on a low heat for 2 hours. Make sure you give it a stir now and again to avoid it sticking to the bottom.