Wintery Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 allspice berries
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 1½ cups water
• 2 tbsp pickle brine
• 2 cups good-quality vegetable stock (paste-style concentrates work particularly well here for depth)
• 2-3 strips lemon peel (no white pith), optional
• 1-2 tsp honey, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat the canola oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 4–5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and butter and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
4. Add the bay leaf, allspice, and cloves. Cook in the butter for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
5. Next, add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it darkens slightly and smells sweet, approximately 4 to 6 minutes.
6. Add the water, pickle brine, vegetable stock, and lemon peel (if using, and you should).
7. Reduce to medium heat and allow mixture to continue to simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or so stirring occasionally, until the sauce has slightly reduced.
8. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently on the solids to extract as much flavour as possible. Discard the aromatics.
9. Stir in the honey, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
10. Make the pasta of your choice, serve sauce with pasta and enjoy!