Make a big batch of pantry-friendly tomato sauce for a leg up on dinner all week

Marinara, tomato sauce, red sauce, red gravy, tomato gravy. Many of us use these terms interchangeably to mean a simple tomato-based sauce that we can toss with pasta, Parmesan and maybe a little fresh basil if we have it on hand.

We can argue that marinara is something very specific and that anything called "gravy" must have meat, but rather than have a semantics discussion, let's agree that a straightforward tomato-based sauce - no matter what you call it - can be a powerful utility player in our kitchens.

If you need proof, just look at the number of recipes in cookbooks and on the internet that feature some variation.

If you look in my freezer and do not see packages of what we down in New Orleans call "red gravy" frozen, labeled with dates and neatly stacked, then you'll probably find an 8-quart pot of the stuff simmering gently on my stove.

I always have tomato sauce on hand. I invite you to do the same, so you can easily pull together a weeknight pizza or pasta. Usually, I make my big-batch sauce vegetarian so that it is more versatile, adding in fresh onion, garlic, bell pepper and scallions.

This time, I rethought my typical sauce with an eye toward making it more pantry friendly. I used canned whole tomatoes, tomato sauce and dry seasonings. The only fresh ingredients I included are two long-lasting ones: chopped onion and garlic.

Yes, it's basic, but it's basic in a good way. The resulting Big-Batch, Pantry-Friendly Tomato Sauce tastes just fine on its own. I've eaten it with angel hair and a generous grating of Parmesan. I've purchased frozen ravioli and made quick and easy dinners that way. Try it in any number of dishes you love.

Big-Batch Pantry-Friendly Tomato Sauce

This sauce is basic, but in a good way. Simplicity and pantry-friendly ingredients are its hallmarks. The recipe makes a little less than 1½ gallons of sauce that can then be portioned for use in a variety of dishes, such as shakshuka, pizza or pasta sauce. Measure the sauce into the portions needed for each recipe you plan to make with it. Label each package with the ounces it contains, as well as the date, and freeze it. Then you have a leg up on your next meal prep. The sauce is deliberately simple so it can serve as a foundation. Just add fresh or dry seasonings to a make a sauce for your favorite Mexican, Italian, Mediterranean or Indian dishes.

Storage Notes: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups chopped Vidalia onions or other sweet onion, about 6 medium onions

9 garlic cloves, minced or mashed

3 tablespoons Italian seasoning mix

4 (28-ounce) cans no-salt-added whole peeled tomatoes, plus their juices

1 28-ounce can no-salt-added tomato sauce

3 bay leaves

4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

In an 8-quart pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until just shimmering. Add the onion and lower the heat to medium. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the Italian seasoning and stir to combine. Over a medium bowl, use your hands to crush the tomatoes and add them to the pot with their juices. Stir to combine. Then, add the tomato sauce and bay leaves and stir to combine.

Raise the heat under the pot and bring the sauce to a boil, about 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Then, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break up and the sauce thickens a bit, about 1½ hours. Add the salt and pepper, then taste and adjust with more salt and/or pepper as desired.

Remove from the heat, and, if desired, blend with an immersion blender to smooth remaining chunks of onion and tomato.

If not using right away, cool completely before storing.

Serves 24; makes about 1½ gallons

Nutrition | Calories: 90; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 210 mg; Total Carbohydrates: 8 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 4 g; Protein: 2 g.

(Recipe from The Washington Post recipes editor Ann Maloney.)