Homemade Marinara Sauce

I believe the beauty of a good marinara sauce exists in its simplicity. Rather than your spice-infused pasta sauces you find in a jar at the grocery store, marinara sauce remains simple in ingredients, and is much "cleaner" tasting as a result. Because marinara sauce contains such few ingredients it is important that they be fresh and of high quality, which is why when my tomatoes start coming in from the garden, I make sure to make a big batch of marinara.

Here is how to make homemade marinara sauce.

Marinara Sauce

Yield: about 3 cups

Prep: 25 min.

Cook Time: 25 min.

Total Time: 50 min.

Ingredients:

• 14 paste tomatoes (I use Amish Paste. Roma is another great choice.)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large clove garlick, grated. Use the small side of a box grater.

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment.

2. Wash tomatoes and slice in half. Place them on the baking sheet cut side down. Bake for 20 minutes.

3. Remove baking sheet from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove skins from tomatoes. This should be easy to do, as they shrivel up from the cooking process and slip right off.*

4. In a medium size pot over medium low heat, heat 1 tbsp olive oil.

5. Add 1 clove grated garlick, skinned tomatoes, and 1 tsp dried oregano. Do not let garlick burn. Do not add juices from the baking sheet, as this will prolong your cooking time.

6. Cook sauce for 20 minutes, stirring frequently and mashing tomatoes with the back of your spoon along the way.

7. Add sauce to a blender and pulse 5-7 times. You do not want to incorporate any air into the sauce, so make sure you pulse quickly.

8. Add sauce back to the pot and add 1 tsp salt and taste. Adjust seasoning to your liking.

9. Enjoy!

*Removing skins from tomatoes: After baking, when the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, pinch the skin between your fingers and pull it away from the flesh of the tomato. It should slip right off.

This is hands down my favorite sauce. The first time I made it for my husband last year he enjoyed it so much because of how fresh and simple it is. I wish you enjoy this sauce, it is a good way to use up all of those garden fresh tomatoes!

Enjoy!

Mary