Marinara Sauce help!

I am marrying a guy with a family that is half Napleotan (sp? they're from Naples!)

I am an Irish girl who can't cook anything Italian - if you can make good sauce please share your recipe.

Thanks!

Re: Marinara Sauce help!

I don't really have a recipe, its depends on what I have in the house

start with warming a little olive oil in the pot and add chopped garlic and onions. (sometimes I add ground meat in with the onions and garlic) When those soften, I add the tomatoes (paste and crushed tomatoes). Then some red wine, spices (salt, pepper, basil, oregano). Sometimes I'll add olives, mushrooms and/or roasted peppers - carrots are good too.

Re: Marinara Sauce help!

OK here you go-

2 large cans of whole plum tomatoes or Whole San Marzano tomatoes- put these in a big bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands- this way you can control how thick you want the sauce)
great red wine that you would drink
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup basil roll up leaves and make a chiffonade by slicing through it.
1 small onion chopped
Olive oil
sugar
salt
pepper

put a big pot on the stove and turn on the heat to medium....
put in olive oil- three turns around
dump in onion- sautee until translucent about 5 minutes or so
add in garlic and basil- sautee about 2 minutes...

NOTE- at this point you can add all sorts of stuff like mushrooms, capers and olives, etc...

add in tomatoes- these splatter like a mother so use the top of your pot to guard yourself.

stir around- then add the red wine- about 1/2 cup or so- you really want the sauce to get dark...

add to this one tsp of sugar ....

Let this cook about an hour- then salt & pepper it to taste.

Re: Marinara Sauce help!

Thank you!! I'm going to impress them with your yummy recipes!

Re: Marinara Sauce help!

heres another to try... nice and thick, if you have a crock pot
1 lb ground beef (or sausage)
1 large onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (1lb.) cans tomatoes, cut or crushed
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 (12oz) can tomato paste
1 c. beef boullion
2 T. minced parsley
1 T. brown sugar
2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
bay leaf

Cook meat with onion and garlic
Break up pieces of meat, drain fat
In slow cooking pot (crock) put everything together and cook for 6 to 8 hours
(leave meat out for marinara)