Homemade Marinara
Easier than you'd think and much cheaper than even the cheapest crappy cans of sauce on the bottom shelf of the grocery store! And with a ton less sodium and more vitamins and minerals.
Things I keep on hand include:
carrots
celery
dried bay leaves
dried basil
olive oil
garlic
onion
spaghetti (or whatever kind really) noodles
I have to buy special for the sauce:
2 32 ounce cans of tomatoes
You can really get whatever you like. I used to buy the whole ones and break them up with a fork but I got tired of the extra work. The original recipe which I got from a book by Giada Delaurentis on the Food Network and modified it slightly calls for 2 can of crushed tomatoes. I like more girth in my sauce so I get one can crushed and one can petite diced. I cannot find low sodium cans in that size at my Walmart Superstore but if you find it that way I recommend it because then you dictate salt content.
This takes some time so do it when you have some. It's mostly just cooking on the stove the whole time so you can do other things but don't expect to whip this together suddenly.
The best thing about this sauce is it freezes so well. I use it to top my homemade pizzas, in salad dressing sauces, for quick spaghetti, as a dipping sauce for things. I put it in freezer bags in approximately 2 cup portions, for the two of us that is all I need. If you have to feed an army, this recipe is easily doubled!
Start with your onions and garlic. I chop the onion first. One whole decent size, not too too big, you know. As for dice size, if you're feeding kiddos that HATE onions, keep the dice big enough to easily pick out but do NOT skip the onion, it is vital to the taste. Unless of course you really want to then by all means skip it.
Add a good amount almost 1/4 cup of olive oil to a big soup pot or dutch oven type thing if you are so blessed as to have one of those. Turn on a medium heat.
Finely as you can get it, chop up some garlic cloves. However much you like. The cloves on the outside of the whole bulb have less garlic potency than the insides so I use about 4 of those and about 2 if I'm to the inside of my bulb. I like a mild garlic flavor and this works for us.
When the oil is heated add the garlic alone first, give it a stir. I use a wooden spoon.
Start to dice your carrots, I use 2 but use 4 if doubling - do NOT skip carrots, they add so much health and vitamin A! I peel mine because I am never quite confident they are washed enough if I scrub (silly I know) but it is an unnecessary step. Then I get them as small as possible dicing, then I run my knife back over the pile and try to get them even smaller.
Do not let your garlic cook too long while you chop your carrots! Once you can smell the garlic cooking add the onions. Salt it. This helps the onions cook down.
While chopping your carrots remember to stir the onions too. Once they turn clear, add the carrots.
When the carrots are chopped, do 2 celery stalks (4 if doubling), all the way up to the leaves if there are any. And as finely diced as you can get it. Don't skip these either folks, celery is super good for you!
Once they are chopped up and the carrots are in, throw the celery in there too. Salt again.
Now you need to let the veggies cook down for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. This will smell divine!
Once the veggies are good and soft, pour your cans of tomatoes in - CAREFULLY. Throw in a bay leaf or two and about a palmful of dried basil. Salt. Stir it well, lower your heat way down to low and enjoy the fragrance for a full hour! Stir occasionally. Let the kids stir if they are old enough!
When I make the sauce I usually have spaghetti for supper that night too.
I cook some hamburger first and season it with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper (just a pinch) and some basil or dried Italian seasonings. Then I scoop out about 2 scoops, not too much, of the meat and set it aside. This I will bag and date and put it in the fridge for pizza night! No pepperoni needed on the pizza. Pepperoni can be expensive but if I can get it cheap it makes a special pizza, otherwise it's hamburger with veggies.
Sometimes I can find Italian sausage in the casings cheap or on sale. Those I bust out of the casings and cook for the spaghetti and also set a scoop or two aside for the pizza. Then when I next cook hamburger meat for something else I scoop out some of it then for the pizza and there's both meats!
This is a great way to stretch your hamburger and cut out some cooking time. Just add a bit of extra veggies or noodles or whatever to whatever thing you were cooking your hamburger meat for!
Anyway, back to the spaghetti. While the hamburger cooks boil the noodles to al dente.
Hamburger cooked, drained. Using a ladle I add sauce until it is a consistency we like around here. And we like it thick! We want to eat our sauce with a fork!
Then I stir in some diced bell pepper and sliced black olives, let it all heat up a minute and serve it over the noodles. Put some Parmesan on top or whatever you like. I like to throw on a bit of chopped parsley!
I'll do a separate entry for my homemade pizza - and don't worry the crust is purchased but still "made" by you!
Hope you and your family like it!!
