When I first started cooking
seriously six or so years ago I was a purist. Cooking shortcuts were almost
universally unacceptable. Clients would ask me if it was okay to buy pre-peeled
garlic, and I would wince to myself. I made all my own spice rubs. And, darn
it, I cut my own chicken cutlets thank you very much. —
Since then I’ve eased up a little
bit. If a client is more likely to cook if she doesn’t have to peel her own
garlic, then godspeed. I still make some spice rubs, but I’m also addicted to
Fresh Direct’s Everything Rub. And I’ve seen the light when it comes to chicken
cutlets. They’re so convenient!
There is still one shortcut that I
don’t take (at least not yet): marinara sauce. It’s just too easy to make my
own and too tasty. Plus, I like knowing exactly what goes into it. I want extra
virgin olive oil, not soybean oil, and real onions, not dehydrated onions.
This recipe is a variation on the
one my husband learned from his Italian mother. I often make a double recipe of
this tangy sauce so I have a lot to freeze in small-ish containers for
emergency pasta cravings.
BASIC MARINARA SAUCE
Yield: about 3 1/2 cups
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive
oil, plus more if necessary
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
freshly ground pepper to taste
a handful of chopped fresh basil
(optional)
1. Heat the olive oil over
medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the onion and reduce the heat to
low. Cook until the onions are soft, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add a
splash more olive oil if the onions are browning. Add the garlic to the pan and
cook for another minute.
2. Add the tomatoes, water, salt,
and sugar. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Taste for
seasoning adding the pepper, more salt if necessary, and basil if using.
-Jenna Helwig, Rosaberry
