I once read that Marinara sauce is the culinary version of the little black dress - and I completely agree! It can be dressed up or down with such ease. And my marinara sauce is so simple and quick, you'll never want to buy that jarred stuff again.
Ingredients:
Makes a potful, enough to lusciously coat 300gms of Spaghetti
3 Fresh Ripe Tomatoes
2 cups of Tomato Purée
6 cloves of Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
2 teaspoons of basil or mixed herbs (Note: there is ABSOLUTELY no replacing fresh basil, but since this is a cheats version, I'm allowing myself to use dried herbs)
2 tablespoons of Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Finely chop the garlic. I've used 6 cloves as I like a nice garlic hit, but you can use 2 cloves for a really mild flavour. You can use a dozen tomatoes and purée them or you can use a combination fresh tomatoes and ready made tomato purée like I did. I chopped the fresh tomatoes, skins and all, and bashed them in a mortar and pestle. Warning: tomatoes will squirt so please wear an apron.
In a heavy bottomed pan, add some olive oil and garlic (If you are making pasta, now is the time to put your salted water on the pan). Once the garlic is soft, add in the tomatoes along with the purée. Add the bay leaf and basil and let them poach till the sauce thickens and boils gently. If your sauce is too thick, add in some pasta water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves and voila! Your sauce is now ready!
Serving:
I can write a book on uses of marinara sauce! Marinara sauce is the foundation of many a good Italian meals. You can use it for pizzas, risottos, calzones and pastas. Add in anchovies, capers and olives for a quick Puttanesca. To add some depth and flavour, add a rash of bacon while the sauce is boiling. But today I'm going to use it to make traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Tip: If the sauce is too tangy or tart, add in a pinch of sugar to balance it out. I also like to add some wine or balsamic vinegar to give the sauce a little zing.
Note: The chunks in the sauce are mushrooms
Ingredients:
Makes a potful, enough to lusciously coat 300gms of Spaghetti
3 Fresh Ripe Tomatoes
2 cups of Tomato Purée
6 cloves of Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
2 teaspoons of basil or mixed herbs (Note: there is ABSOLUTELY no replacing fresh basil, but since this is a cheats version, I'm allowing myself to use dried herbs)
2 tablespoons of Olive oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Finely chop the garlic. I've used 6 cloves as I like a nice garlic hit, but you can use 2 cloves for a really mild flavour. You can use a dozen tomatoes and purée them or you can use a combination fresh tomatoes and ready made tomato purée like I did. I chopped the fresh tomatoes, skins and all, and bashed them in a mortar and pestle. Warning: tomatoes will squirt so please wear an apron.
In a heavy bottomed pan, add some olive oil and garlic (If you are making pasta, now is the time to put your salted water on the pan). Once the garlic is soft, add in the tomatoes along with the purée. Add the bay leaf and basil and let them poach till the sauce thickens and boils gently. If your sauce is too thick, add in some pasta water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves and voila! Your sauce is now ready!
Serving:
I can write a book on uses of marinara sauce! Marinara sauce is the foundation of many a good Italian meals. You can use it for pizzas, risottos, calzones and pastas. Add in anchovies, capers and olives for a quick Puttanesca. To add some depth and flavour, add a rash of bacon while the sauce is boiling. But today I'm going to use it to make traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Tip: If the sauce is too tangy or tart, add in a pinch of sugar to balance it out. I also like to add some wine or balsamic vinegar to give the sauce a little zing.
Note: The chunks in the sauce are mushrooms
