Made this a couple of nights ago. My first attempt at marinara or gravy and it turned out great:
1 large can of Cento crushed tomatoes
1 large onion
2 bell peppers
Approximately 10 ounces of white mushrooms
Pepper and salt to taste
Oregano to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste
Basil to taste
Pasley to taste
About 1.5 tbsp of minced garlic from the bottle in it's juices
Onion and garlic powder to taste
Balsamic vinegar
I like it spicy and with a lot of garlic. I was just adding stuff in so I'm not sure the exact measurements of the spices. The one thing I know I used a lot of is the basil (probably around 2 tbsp). You don't need any sugar because the basil makes it nice and sweet.
Method:
Add minced garlic and onion to the pot. I like to use the juices from the garlic as the oil substitute. Saute until they start to stick a little. Add the bell peppers (I washed them and they retained some water so once again no need to add anymore water to keep from sticking) and saute. Add the spices to the pot and continue to cook. When you start seeing the spices brown on the bottom of the pot you want to de-glaze. I used balsamic vinegar because I had no red wine in the house but I would think most folks would use red wine. Once de-glazed, add the crushed tomatoes. Let it go for about 40 minutes (or whenever you're satisfied with the consistency) with the lid off simmering to reduce. About halfway through, I add the mushrooms. When you're done, and you take it off the heat, add two tsp of balsamic vinegar mix and you're done. Once again you could use red wine but I like the taste of the balsamic better.
Enjoy!