Once you've tried homemade pasta sauce it's impossible to go back to the jar, or heaven forbid, the can. It's not only fresher, more flavorful and healthier, it's also cheaper and quick and easy to make. Plus, when you're the chef you choose how to make the marinara your own, and customized options are endless. Here's my favorite basic recipe for homemade marinara. I've included a few add-in ideas, but feel free to jazz it up with your preferred spices and condiments.

-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-6-8 big or 9-12 medium fresh tomatoes, halved and seeded (I love Roma and plum)
-4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
-1 medium onion, chopped
-2 carrots, chopped
-1 tablespoon of three of the following herbs freshly chopped (or 1 teaspoon each of dried):
Italian (flat leaf) parsley
Oregano
Basil
Rosemary
Thyme
-Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the olive oil on the bottom of a roasting or jelly roll pan. Place tomatoes skin side up. Top and spread out remaining ingredients. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until tomato skins begin to brown. Remove tomato skins with tongs (no worries, they slip off easily). Place the roasted veggie mix in a blender or food processor and pulse to achieve the desired consistency (I prefer chunky sauce, but you might not.) Use sauce immediately, or allow it to cool before putting it in plastic containers to freeze or put in the fridge. The sauce should keep for a week in the fridge and for a few months in the freezer. Serves 4-6 portions of pasta. Enjoy!