Marinara sauce for spaghetti, pizza, and the like

I make a big batch of marinara sauce and can use it in 1-3 recipes that week (lasagna, spaghetti, pizza, etc).

INGREDIENTS

• ~1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• Green, red, or yellow pepper- chopped optional (only if you've got 'em on hand)

• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 Large cans of organic peeled tomatoes (or 2 lbs of fresh tomatoes)
• 2 cups of water
• ~1/4 cup organic maple syrup (more or less to taste)
• Optional: 1 lb of Italian pork sausage or ground beef
• Salt & pepper
• A large bunch of basil

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large stockpot, add ~1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the onion, garlic, and peppers (if using) in some olive oil for 4-6 minutes, med-high heat.
2. Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a low boil; simmer for 45-60 minutes until it's at your desired consistency. ​
3. Add the maple syrup in the last ~10 minutes.
4. If you're making it a meat sauce, cook the ground meat separately in a little olive oil until no longer pink for ~8 minutes and add to the sauce at the end. 
5. You should have ~6 cups of the world's very very best marinara sauce.