Tomato Salsa Sauce

1 c chopped onion
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic, or to taste
3 tbsp olive oil or cooking oil
5 c. tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with juice
1 5-and-a-half-ounce can tomato paste
2-3 bay leaves
1-and-a-half tsp basil
1-and-a-half tsp oregano
2 tsp granulated sugar
1-and-a-half tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Saute onion and garlic in oil.
Add the rest, stir, bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for one or two hours, till it's the consistency you like. Discard bay leaves.

We use this as a salsa, as a bruschetta, and as a sauce for pasta. I've added various peppers to it sometimes too.

Original recipe: Jean Pare's Company's Coming Pasta Cookbook. Her recipe tells you to remove the skin from the tomatoes; I don't do it. She says you can make Super Sauce by scramble-frying a pound of lean ground beef and adding it to the sauce with a half-teaspoon of salt.