My love for the tomato is the stuff of legends. It should therefore come as no surprise that I love tomato sauces of all descriptions. Who doesn’t need a simple recipe for marinara? This is about as simple as it gets, with just a few basic ingredients that come together beautifully.
The recipe as it is listed below comes to us by way of John’s sister-in-law Sarita. She and John’s brother Kevin were the epitome of hospitality when we visited last month, taking the time to cook nearly every meal we ate during the entire stay. Even more amazing, she sent me home with a jar of delicious home canned pickles that she was nearly out of! If that ain’t love, I don’t know what is. So without further ado…
(15) Sarita’s Marinara 
- 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- olive oil
- 2 large cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 small can Italian diced tomatoes
- oregano
- basil
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt & pepper to taste
1. Sauté onion in olive oil till transparent.
2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.
It isn’t often that I taste a sauce that I wouldn’t want to alter just a bit. This is one of those rare exceptions. It doesn’t get any more basic than this and yet it is full-bodied and satisfying (and it was perfect as a dip for the garlic bread, too). I would put this up against sauces in some of the best restaurants in the country.
Verdict: A definite addition to regular rotation. I look forward to using fresh onion and tomatoes from our gardens to see how much of a difference it makes.
With this recipe we have just 5 more recipes left to complete the April Food Challenge.
