OK-—here’s an INCREDIBLE and simple marinara sauce recipe given to me by an Italian-American woman in accounting (you’ll THANK me for it):
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBSP olive oil
Two 29 oz cans tomato puree
One 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 ½ TBSP tomato paste
2 ¼ cups water
One cup chicken broth
One TSP sugar
¼ TSP crushed red pepper
[Basil optional)
1. In a 4-qt Dutch oven or large pot with lid, cook the onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until tender but not brown, stirring frequently
2. Stir in the tomato puree, crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste. Stir in the water, broth, sugar and crushed red pepper
3. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 1 hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper, more red pepper if desired. Sauce should be thin, but not watery, and very smooth.
Makes about 9 cups. Freeze any leftover sauce in freezer containers (freezer bags are fine) for up to 3 months.
You can add ground beef or brasciole or meatballs after sauce has come to boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Here...I’ll swap ya sauces:
Vodka Sauce
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 onion, diced
* 1 cup vodka
* 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
* 1 pint heavy cream
In a very large skillet over medium heat, saute onion in butter until slightly brown and soft. Pour in vodka and let cook for 10 minutes. Mix in crushed tomatoes and cook for 20 minutes. Pour in heavy cream and cook for another 15 minutes.