As with taco sauce, a basic pasta sauce comes in very handy for many dishes.

1. Wash tomatoes in cold water. Drain and dry with paper towels. Core and cut into small pieces.

2. Put in food processor or blender and purée in small batches. Put puréed tomatoes into two large stockpots.

3. Wash and finely chop all herbs. Divide equally between two stockpots.

4. In a frying pan, sauté ground beef, green peppers, black pepper, and onions in extra-virgin olive oil until meat is browned and veggies are soft. Drain well in a colander to remove excess fat. Split mixture evenly between two tomato pots.

5. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45 to 60 minutes, stirring often.

6. Ladle into properly dated and labeled freezer-safe containers.

• MAKES 8 QUARTS

• INGREDIENTS

• 40 pounds tomatoes

• 2 ½ cups chopped fresh basil

• ½ cup chopped fresh thyme

• ½ cup finely chopped fresh rosemary

• 1 cup chopped fresh oregano

• 2 pounds lean ground beef

• 3 tablespoons freshly ground

• black pepper

• 2 green peppers, diced

• 2 cups chopped onion

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin

• olive oil

• 1 cup lemon juice

• 1 ½ cups sugar or Splenda

• salt to taste (optional)

Marrying Pasta with Tomatoes Tomato sauce is a relatively new advancement in pasta’s rich history. Tomatoes used to be considered inedible because they are a member of the nightshade family. The first recipe that contained pasta with tomatoes appeared in 1839, and Italians slowly became enamored with the fruit.