Simple Tomato Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chapped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 (32 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 -6 basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)
2 bay leaves

Preparation

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent--about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. If sauce tastes too acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to round out the flavour.
I like my sauce a little spicier, so I add a few red pepper flakes.