Simple, Delicious Tomato Sauce

I modified a recipe from Everyday Food's Great Food Fast cookbook called Easy Chunky Tomato Sauce to make what is now my favorite "go to" tomato sauce. It is very easy to make, and once you try it, you will not be able to eat store bought marinara ever again! Everyday Food, which is "from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living," has some fantastic recipes and Great Food Fast is beautifully done with lots of great photos. I find it's always good to be able to see what a dish is supposed to look like when it's done; that way you know if you've made it correctly -- or not! The first time I tried the Everyday Food version of this sauce, I got sick. There was way too much oil in it for me. That is never fun! So, the next time I made it, I used only one tablespoon of olive oil. It tasted just as good and I didn't have to run to the bathroom after eating it. So many pasta sauces are just dripping with olive oil, and while it is somewhat healthy, I don't find that it improves the taste that much. Using less is easier on your stomach, and creates a sauce that is much lower in fat as well. So, I decreased the three tablespoons of olive oil in the original recipe to one. I also started using canned crushed tomatoes instead of diced; I just like these better. Finally, I added one half cup of dry red wine and two bay leaves to the mix and I have been loving this sauce ever since. I store it in two wide mouth Mason jars, which can be bought individually at places like Michael's Craft Store. This sauce is especially good with Rotini style pasta.