Classic Tomato Sauce with Lamb Sausage and Fresh Herbs

This is a basic sauce that I chose to make in a crock pot so it could slow cook during a 10-hour period of time, however, if you are home and can monitor a pot on low for several hours- that too- is an option.
To make this sauce

You will need:

• 2 large 32 ounce cans crushed tomatoes (with basil- I like Pastene) (You could also use homemade stewed or peeled tomatoes, it would take several pounds or so of fresh- around 6, stewed, peeled, salted and chopped)
• one package (5-6) lamb sausage, casing removed 
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 1 handful fresh sage
• 1 handful fresh thyme 
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (dried because it's the most potent- you could use three times the amount for fresh) 
• 2 back quarters of cheese rinds (I used 1,000 day Gouda- this really makes the sauce rich- aside from all that lamb fat) 
• 1 large dry chili 
• one medium yellow onion, minced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced 
• olive oil

In a heavy bottomed pan, put a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add sausage. Break into pieces and start to brown- add onion and garlic until sausage has thoroughly browned and onion and garlic are translucent. Add oregano and dried chili. Put into a crock pot or keep in pan but reduce heat to low simmer. Add in tomatoes and fresh herbs as well as cheese rind. Cook on stove top up to six hours on extreme low OR in crock pot for up to ten hours on low. 

Top with Manchego (Spanish cheese and fresh basil) Put on top of spaghetti (I use GF spaghetti from Ronzoni - it has a nice blend of brown rice, corn and quinoa) 

Bon appetit 

xoxo Renee