Marinara Sauce

Instruction​

• Heat a large, thick bottomed pan on medium-high

• Add olive oil and saute:

• chopped white onion

• chopped or crushed garlic

• finely chopped red chili peppers

• As the onions begin to cook down, stir in a hefty dollop of tomato paste

• Add two 16 oz tins of tomatoes which an be:

  • crushed - for chunky sauce

  • pureed - for smooth sauce

  • plum - this is most authentic and requires you to squish manually

• Add a can full of water or beef stock

• Season with:

  • salt and pepper

  • basil

  • oregano

  • A bit of sugar to contrast the acidity of raw tomato

  • Add a splash of red wine, especially if you are serving this with meat, and also drink some

  • Lemon zest

• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer on low for as long as you can tolerate, because the longer the better

• Before serving, stir in a knob of butter to create a silky texture

• If the sauce needs thickening, you can mix in some flour, but be sure to let the raw flour taste cook out

• Serve in whatever way you choose, but drizzle a bit of good quality olive oil over the top of the dish and garnish with fresh basil

​

The sauce can be used in any of the recipes below.

​