Marinara Sauce à la Ina Garten

My daughter had made some delicious meatballs, half of which she froze.  Hubby was craving spaghetti and meatballs so she gave them to me.  I had the meatballs, I had a box of spaghetti, but no tomato sauce.  Personally, I am not a fan of jarred sauces (with the exception of Rao's) but I did have a can of whole San Marzano tomatoes so I decided to make the sauce myself.  I settled on Ina Garten's recipe as the simplest and bonus, I already had all the ingredients on hand.  You can certainly make this with "ordinary" canned tomatoes but all the gourmet chefs recommend San Marzano because the tomatoes are grown in volcanic soil in a specific region of Italy and are sweeter and less acidic.  If your tomatoes are too sour, you can always add a pinch of sugar.

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28-ounce) can of San Marzano tomatoes 

1/4 cup dry red wine  

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (optional for garnish 

 

Heat olive oil and sauté onion until translucent.  Add garlic and sauté for one minute.

 

Crush tomatoes with your hands and add to pot.  (Careful! They splatter.) Add salt and pepper, oregano and red pepper (if using) and stir to combine.

 

 

Add wine and bring sauce to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, occasionally breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

 

Serve with pasta of your choice with or without meatballs.

 

 

 

 

 

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