Homemade Marinara Sauce

Despite growing up in a large Italian family with a mother who is a great cook, it wasn't until about a year ago that I made my own homemade marinara sauce.

I was always intimidated so I stuck with the jarred sauce. One day I decided to give it a go, so I looked at a bunch of recipes and also watched my mom make her sauce before coming up with my own version. Since making my own, I will never go back to the jarred stuff! Its so easy to make a big pot, have enough for dinner, and left overs to freeze for future use. Not to mention the house smells amazing for the rest of the day!

So if you are the way I was, trust me and just give it a try. This recipe usually makes enough for one meal (pound of pasta, homemade pizza, baked ziti, lasagna, etc) and enough to freeze for at least one more.

What you need:

Olive Oil

3 28oz cans Italian Style crushed tomatoes

6oz can tomato paste

Medium onion, chopped

8 garlic cloves, minces

1/4 cup dry red wine

dried basil

dried Italian seasoning

2 bay leaves
pinch red pepper flakes

2 tsp Better Than Bouillon (or 2 bouillon cubes)

Directions:

Heat large pot on med low
Coat the bottom with Olive Oil
Add garlic, cook until fragrant and lightly browned, be careful not to burn

Add onion, increase heat to medium and cook until soft, about 2-3 mins

Add one small can of tomato paste, combine with garlic and onion
Continue stirring until tomato paste becomes smooth, about 3-4 mins

Add 3 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes, about 1/4 cup dry red wine, 2 bay leaves, a pinch of red pepper flakes, generous shakes of Italian seasoning (I use Emerils) and dried basil, and 2 tsp Better Than Bouillon (or 2 bouillon cubes)

Reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour or so, stirring occasionally

UPDATE - I usually grate some carrot into the sauce with the onions now, and also use my immersion blender to smooth out the sauce.