Homemade Italian Red Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
2 (32 ounce) cans crushed diced tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white sugar
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic in hot oil until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, baking soda, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Stir mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 2 hours.