Since I was thinking about doing a bit of a series about classic Italian sauces this week, I thought, well… marinara is the best place to start, right? It’s THE classic Italian sauce. It’s rich, it’s tomato-y, and it’s full of flavor. And it’s very individual. Everybody has their preference about how to make a perfect marinara. Some look for a light sauce with a fresh-tomato taste. Others want something deep, spicy, and full bodied.

If that last one is the kind of marinara that attracts you, you’ll love this recipe. It’s got deep tomato flavor, tons of garlic and spice, and a wonderful hand-crushed texture. It’s also ultra easy to make– just a little chopping, then set it to simmer. Easy-peasy. I like to make a double or triple batch and freeze it so I never have to go out and buy the crappy jarred stuff.

Recipe make a good size pot of tomato marinara: enough to feed about 8 people.

Ingredients:
1/4 C. good-quality olive oil
1-2 medium onions, chopped (I use 2)
1 head garlic, cloves peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed cayenne pepper
1 1/2 to 2 tsp. salt
1/2 - 2/3 C. dry red wine
2 cans (32 oz. each) whole tomatoes, drained
2 cans (6 oz. each) tomato paste
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tsp. sugar (or as needed)
3 tsp. dried parsley flakes
2 tsp. dried basil

Instructions: In the bottom of a large saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic, salt, and cayenne. Cook over med-low heat until veggies are golden and partially caramelized. Don’t let them burn.

Turn the heat to medium and stir in the wine. Bring wine to a boil and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, to loosen any cooked on veggie-bits and incorporate them into the sauce. Let about half (or more) or the wine evaporate away.

To add the whole tomatoes, crush each one in your hand over the saucepan and into the sauce. This is fun to do (sort of an anti-stress treatment or something!), and creates a wonderful texture for the sauce. Stir in the tomato paste.

Add sugar (the amount you’ll need will depend entirely on the acidity of your tomatoes. I suggest you add the minimum amount and then taste as you go.). Stir in black pepper.

Bring sauce to a simmer and allow to simmer on low heat, uncovered, until it reaches you desired level of thickness, at least 1 1/2 hours. If the sauce starts to get too thick, cover it up during the last part of the cook time.

During the last half hour of cooking, stir in the parsley and basil. Serve hot over pasta or… do whatever you want with it!

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