Cover the bottom of a large, heavy sauce pan with olive oil and heat over medium until the oil shimmers. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer; cook, uncovered, for four hours. Taste for salt. Serve over cooked pasta of choice, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste.

Note: This sauce freezes easily, and is a great sauce in which to simmer meatballs or grilled Italian sausage. Canners are likely to use higher quality tomatoes for their whole canned tomatoes; that's what I always select when using canned tomatoes.