Marinara Sauce

I totally understand that everyone has their own recipe for red sauce. I have heard it all. Everything from this sauce recipe is 100 years old to my grandma was buried in her coffin with this recipe but we somehow managed to get it from her ( Yikes!). But regardless, the red sauce is that safegaurded pasta sauce the people keep close to their hearts. We cook it to show our love! However, I would make a hefty bet that grandma's serious marinara sauce was seriously simple. Here is my recipe for Marinara sauce that can be used as a base for many Italian recipes or eaten just as is over a bed of fresh angel hair. Don't forget to pair it with a gulp of good red wine.

I started trying out sauce recipes as a result of hearing a very big secret from many gourmet chefs. The key to a really good red sauce is to use the right kind of tomato. San Marzano tomatoes to be exact. Now, what the heck are San Marzano tomatoes? Well, it was rumored that in the 1700s, a Peruvian king gave the king of Naples some San Marzano seeds and the rest is history. We know this to be a complete myth. However, we do know that San Marzanos are mostly grown in Italy and the United states and are the genetic base for Roma tomatoes (which are actually a crossbreed of tomatoes). San Marzanos are a very pure plum tomato, having low seed counts and having just the right amount of sweetness and acidity. So much so that most chefs prefer them above other types of tomatoes. I know I love them! I hope you do too.

Now, here is the recipe for the sauce:

The ingredients:

1 28oz can San Marzano tomatoes
5 basil leaves
1/2 cup red wine (Cabernet or Syrah)
Sugar
Salt
Pepper
Red pepper flakes
Extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
3-4 cloves garlic

The procedure:

1) Chop the onion into small pieces and mince the garlic. Keep separate.
2) Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil into a large saute pan, toss in the onions and saute gently at about medium heat until the onions become soft and translucent. We call this SWEATIN' the onions
3) Add in the garlic and saute about 1 minute
4) Add in the can of tomatoes
5) Take a fork and squish the tomatoes down until they are in small chunks. I try to get it as smooth as I can. Stir the concoction together. (Optional: use Immersion blender)
6) Add the red wine, a good pinch of sugar, salt and pepper, and a few shakes of red pepper flakes. Stir altogether.
7) Let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring periodically
8) Chop basil leaves into a chiffonade or just roughly chopped.
9) Add basil leaves, stir, and simmer sauce another 10 minutes.
10) Enjoy!

I like to serve this immediately over angel hair pasta, with a good amount of fresh grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil over the top. I have also used this as my base sauce for manicotti. Another great recipe for another post.