Tomato Cream Pasta Sauce

Here's a good, basic recipe for tomato cream sauce.  You can leave it as simple as it is, or spice it up more to your liking, or add veggies (perhaps sauteed or roasted red pepper, or mushrooms).  Serve with a hearty pasta of your choice-- tonight, I chose gnocchi.  Top with a little fresh basil and shredded cheese, and you've got yourself something that's just amazing.  This recipe made enough for two (maybe even 3) dinners for my husband and I, so feel free to use a smaller can of tomatoes (a 14 oz can or so, instead of 28 oz can).  Otherwise, do like I do, and freeze the left over sauce for later use.

Ingredients:
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, Italian style preferably, or plain will do
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed and finely diced
1 tbsp dried basil (or more to taste)
1 tbsp dried oregano (or more to taste)
3 tbsp sugar
1 cup half and half
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
freshly cracked pepper
salt

Directions:
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan.  Add onions until translucent and beginning to brown.  Add garlic, and cracked pepper and stir for 1-2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar and salt, and bring to a simmer.  Cook like this for 10-15 minutes.  Remove from heat, transfer to a blender or food processor, and process until completely smooth.  Return to pan, and return to simmer.  You want your sauce to be fairly thick, so at this point you may need to add some flour.  What I like to do to avoid creating large flour chunks in my sauce is to put some flour in a wire mesh strainer, and tap lightly over the sauce.  I add a thin layer of flour, stir, and repeat until I have reached my desired consistency.  Now add the half and half.  Taste your sauce, and adjust the pepper, salt, and sugar ratios as you please.  Toss with pasta (perhaps penne, or gnocchi).  Top with shredded cheese and fresh basil and a little cracked pepper.  Enjoy.

You can freeze any left over sauce by putting it in freezer bags after it's cooled to room temperature.  Remember to label the bags, or you'll end up like me, and forget what everything is in the freezer...