Salsa All'Amatriciana

Hands down, the favorite red sauce in this house.

This is from Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian cookbook. My sis-in-law Jen gave it too me and it is fabulous. Really yummy, doable recipes. A lot of them are very amenable to freezer meals as well. It is probably the most used cookbook in our house.

1 T olive oil
6 ounces Pancetta or slab bacon, diced
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced (Confession: I usually add 3-4....)
pinch of dried crushed red pepper flake (you can leave this out...for the kids, I
usually just add a couple of flakes -- it isn't spicy, but adds
a little heat in the back of your throat -- NICE!)
1 28 ounce can tomato puree' (or crushed tomatoes)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1/c cup Romano cheese (I've also used parmesan)

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and saute' until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flake and saute' until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Stir in the tomatoe puree', salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered over medium low heat until sauce thickens slightly -- about 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve with 1 pound or your favorite shape pasta, although we also like to dip chunks of crust bread in it and eat it without the pasta.

From Frozen: Defrost in refrigerator overnight. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir to re-incorporate the cheese. Serve with pasta and garlic bread.