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Monday, November 15, 2010

Feeling Saucy?

When you grow up with an Italian mother who makes great sauce, it ruins you for life.  I can't eat red sauce in most Italian restaurants. There has to be a LOT of red wine to get me to do that. Unless I know that the guy in the kitchen has the right accent, an overbearing mother, and a serious temper - proving he's Italian - I'm suspect.

So you're probably not surprised to learn that a jar of Prego ain't gonna cut it around here.  I need sauce that cooked down for hours, I need sauce that is rich and full of deep flavors.  I need homemade sauce.

About 2 or 3 years ago I found a fellow Italian who had a simple and yet A-MA-Zing marinara recipe that I have now adopted as my go-to.  It makes 9 cups so it keeps me in sauce for a while.  That is a good thing.  ;D  I make this on the stove, but you could certainly do it in a crockpot.

It starts with a cool pot.  Oh, you don't have one?  I know this really cook chick that's giving one away tomorrow - HERE.


You start by heating some olive oil over medium heat.  Once it's hot, toss in 6 cups of diced onions and a tablespoon of sugar.  You'll cook these for about 30 minutes - until the onions are soft and brown and singing with happiness!



When the onions look hot, then it's time to let them swim.  Pour in a couple of cups of a dry red wine.  Let this cook for just a minute before you start adding everything else.


When the wine and onions seem to be getting along well you'll add all the seasonings, the bay leaves, and all the variations of tomatoes.  Stir it all together, bring it to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours.  Yep, 3 hours.  It's not hard to make good sauce, you just have to be home for a while.  ;D




I like to freeze this in 2 cup portions - that size is perfect for recipes for the weeone and I.  If you're used to using jarred sauce and want to have the same amount as a jar - you'll need 4 cups...and since the recipe makes 9 you're going to have a wayward cup of sauce.  Just warning ya'.


Lindrusso's Marinara Magnifica
On her Blog
Makes 9 cups
Dry red wine intensifies the well-blended flavors in this lusciously seasoned tomato sauce--magnifico! Serve over your favorite pasta.
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups chopped onion (about 3 medium)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
(2 bay leaves)
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and sugar. Cook 30 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in wine; cook 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 9 cups (serving size: 1 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 169(20% from fat); FAT 3.8g (sat 0.5g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 5.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 131mg; SODIUM 960mg; FIBER 6.5g; IRON 2.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.9g


Buon Appetito!


5 comments:

AllTwiedUp said...

I am sooooo making this, it looks delicious! Marinara is an ultimate favorite of mine. Thanks for sharing!

My After Car said...

I hear ya. Sicilian mother and grandmother = food snob daughter. I hate jar sauce. This is very similar to my (family) recipe. Add in the meatballs (browned on the stove, finished in the sauce) and YUM!

Now I'm hungry. Good thing I have sauce and meatballs frozen in two-person-dinner-sized containers in the freezer :)

AGirlintheSouth said...

Charla - it's good AND versatile - you can add meat, meatballs, spice it up and add seafood - very yummy!

XKR -so you know what I'm talking about! I like to add sausage, but occasionally a meatball - and yes stovetop then finished in the sauce is the "right" way!

Dangrdafne said...

I guess you don't want to hear that I opened a jar of Classico Sauce tonite for my dinner then?? :)

Anonymous said...

I'm with you about sauce in restaurants. I went to this place in Buffalo that everyone says is the shit. It's been there for about 60 years and I have to say that I've tasted better red sauce from a can. Thanks for the recipe.