Carol L. Cain
Marinara Sauce
Here is a great recipe for marinara sauce that is absolutely simple. The only problems come when you add ingredients and destroy its simplicity. ingredients: olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, basil, crushed red pepper, salt. basic recipe: Chop up some garlic into a cold pan, add some olive oil, heat a while but don't brown. Add tomatoes, simmer a while, add basil, red pepper, salt. Simmer a while longer. Serve over pasta that's not overcooked. Total cooking time 10-15 minutes for canned tomatoes, longer for fresh. Quantities are variable, depending upon personal taste and circumstances. Oil varies from 1 tbsp to 4 tbsp or even more in very cold weather. Garlic varies from 2 cloves to 12 cloves or more for real garlic-freaks. One two-pound can of Italian plum tomatoes makes 2-3 servings of sauce. Fresh plum tomatoes are best, but be sure to cut the skin pieces small for a good texture. If you use canned tomatoes with salt, be sure to add less salt yourself. Fresh basil is best, frozen basil will do, but dried basil won't make the sauce I'm describing. Oregano won't do at all. The crushed red pepper from the supermarket is stale and tasteless, better to get some whole dried chilis at a Chinese grocery or specialty store and crush them yourself in the blender. Use to taste, or leave this ingredient out if you need to. You could also leave out most or or even (shudder) all of the garlic and salt. The only things you can't leave out are the tomatoes and the basil. If you want peppers or mushrooms or anything else in this sauce, cook it separately and add to your plate, not to the sauce. Please, this has to be a simple recipe. If you complicate it, you're missing a marvelous eating experience! Lenny Silver