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Marinara Sauce

jglass

New member
I am going to can some tomatoes from the garden this year.
We love marinara sauce.
Anyone have a recipe to share..please :D
 
of course I have something to share!

(2) #3 Cans of whole peeled tomatoes (28oz) or equal amount of fresh peeled tomatoes. (Put in bowl, crush by hand ? set aside) or homemade (canned)
10 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 lg. Onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. Salt
1 tbs. Sugar
Pepper to taste
20 basil leaves or 2 tbs. dried basil
4 to 6 tbs. Olive oil

Heat Olive oil in a saucepan. When hot add garlic, stir, add onions ? sauté until soft.

Add tomatoes, along with remaining ingredients.

Bring to light boil, reduce heat ? simmer one hour without lid, stirring occasionally.



OR



About three tablespoons of olive oil - I use Bertoli Extra Virgin
Six cloves of fresh garlic chopped - this is the secret. . . .
10 small baby carrots chopped - the already peeled ones
One onion diced
Crushed Tomatoes - Two 28 ounce cans - I like Angela Mia and Furmano's - redpack is good too - but nothing beats HOMEMADE
Sugar to sweeten as you like - I usually use about a tablespoon and then a little more

Saute the garlic, carrots, and onion in the olive oil
Pour in the crushed tomatoes
Cook and stir occasionally for about an hour or more and add sugar as you go




OR



6 pounds ripe Italian-type tomatoes
1 cup very finely minced onion
1/2 cup very finely minced celery
1 cup very finely minced carrots
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Ground white pepper to taste.
Optional seasoning (any one of the following): 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried marjoram; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 to 2 teaspoons salt, to taste

Drop the tomatoes into boiling water, a few at a time. Let the water return to a boil, then remove the tomatoes and drain. Peel and chop.

In a large saucepan, cook the onion, celery, and carrots in the olive oil, covered, over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring a few times. Uncover and stir, over the heat, for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are very soft and lightly gold.

Add the tomatoes, sugar, and pepper and simmer gently, covered, for 15 minutes.

Puree the sauce through the medium disc of food mill. Add the optional seasoning and cook at a bare simmer until a desirable consistency is reached, about 20 minutes, stirring often. Add salt to taste.

If you prefer a smooth sauce, work the sauce through the fine disc of a food mill.

Cool the sauce and refrigerate it. It will keep, refrigerated, for about a week, or for several months if frozen.

Makes: 3 Pints



It's all a matter of taste - it cooks in no time and you can add/adjust seasonings - I don't like the coriander in it - some do. I stick with the marjarom, basil, sometimes some dried red bell pepper (I dry my own), maybe a pinch of oregano (to me marinara should not be hot and spicy).

If using any dried herbs - remember that you don't just add dried herbs to anything unless you crush them in your hand to release the oils/flavors of the herbs.

Depending on what I use the sauce for - I may not add any carrot - and if I do add carrot - I do not add sugar - the carrots add enough sweetness. If I want to use it on bread for topping, then I may add a bit of red pepper flakes, paprika or a pinch of chili powder.

Start off with a small batch - grab a can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes (unseasoned) and experiment. You can use it for pasta, rice, couscous, on bread, pizza, focaccia, etc. for a quick and easy side. Then the next time try a different herb or carrot/no carrot, etc.

I do not use any green bell pepper - too bitter for it. But just a tad of dried red bell is nice.

I hope this helps.
 
Oh man..I wanna try these.
I should wait a few weeks til I have fresh basil in the garden but I know I cant wait that long lol.
Thank you so much for these.
 
Jon is waiting on a friend of his to come by.
I WISH he would hurry up. I need to go to the store and get the tomatoes.
I want to try the first recipe today then work my way down the list.
Patience is not one of my virtues.
 
Do you have a recipe for meatballs?
This is the one I have been using lately.

Baked Italian Meatballs

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped (a must - dried will not do in this)
1/4 cup unseasoned tomato sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon low sodium salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced,more to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Spray a broiler pan with broiling rack well with nonstick spray (I line the bottom part with foil and then spray).
Combine all ingredients well.
Form into 30 meatballs using a 1 1/2" diameter scoop (or use your hands).
Set on sprayed broiler rack in prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.
 
I make mine several different ways - all depending on my "mood" and who's eating!

Meat, eggs, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic, grated Pecorino Romano, plain tomato sauce. Meat can be beef and/or veal and/or pork. I don't measure anything - it's all by look.

I leave the Italian seasonings, marjoram, basil, chili pepper, crushed red peppers, etc. to the flavoring s for the sauce - not the meatballs.

Just preference.

Sometimes I add rice and sometimes I add raisins (my absolute favorite).

I don't use seasoned crumbs unless they are the ones I make. I dislike the taste of crumbs like Progresso, etc. Haven't found a use for the store bought ones for anything yet.
 
by the way - I fry mine in a heavy skillet - heat my olive oil, add my meatballs and fresh garlic cloves - fry well.
 
I finally got to the store today.
I am going to try the first recipe for marinara sauce.
I really appreciate your being so kind.
 
The best way to taste your sauce - any tomato-based sauce - is to do it like a true Italian!

Grab a loaf of unsliced crusty Italian bread and dunk it in the sauce and taste! Just break off a chunk and enjoy! (yes - BREAK - do not cut - and if you need to slice it - you hold it near the chest/heart and cut towards the heart. Now how many old Italians still do that??)

OMG - I can make a meal of that alone!


Did you ever see the movie "Fatso" with Dom DeLuise????? Watch it - you'll see! LOL

Mama
 
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I have found my new favorite recipe for Marinara sauce.
I made Giada's last week Mama and yours beat hers all over the place.
I cant wait to try that top recipe again when I have fresh basil. This time I used dried.
My father in law told me today he has 27 tomato plants put out for me so far. I cant wait to try that third marinara recipe with some fresh tomatoes.
I tore off some of my roasted garlic french bread and it was heaven dipped in your sauce.
My husband who does everything by sound and smell fully appreciated the apartment being filled with the wonderful smell it produced while cooking.

We are looking forward to trying it over gnocchi tomorrow.
 
Wonderful! And thank you for the wonderful compliment. Now tell me - are you making your gnocchi or using store-bought? Potato, cheese or another flavor gnocchi???

Just being nosey!

Mama

BTW - I like my gnocchi with a thick, rich sauce - I use my marinara on a lighter type pasta. All just preference.
 
This is the gnocchi recipe I have been using. My husband loves it cooked in some homemade chicken broth with fresh thyme. If you have a recipe for gnocchi I would love to try it. I always make roasted garlic mashed potatoes so the gnocchi has even more flavor.

Gnocchi Recipe

2 cups mashed potatoes (cold)
1-1 1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion salt

In large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix into a soft dough.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 20 times.
Divide dough into fourths and roll each quarter into a 12 inch long rope.
Cut each rope into ½ inch pieces, and set on a floured surface.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Roll each piece of dough across the tines of a fork to get groves on it and drop it into the pot of water.
Cook gnocchi until it floats to the top.
Drain and serve.
 
Once again - mine is different - but everyone who eats them always ask for more! Extremely easy! Made for decades in my family this way -

boil potatoes until tender while still in skins; skin while hot and mash - yes we work with hot potatoes (be careful not to overcook the potatoes because they will absorb too much water requiring more flour than needed - those are the real tummy fillers - cripe they sink in your tummy and you feel 30 lbs heavier!)

add salt to taste (depending on the size of the batch you are making)

add enough flour to make a soft supple dough and knead

you can pass your taters through a rice mill if you want - I don't - mashed is fine

divide into portions - roll into 3/4-inch thick ropes; cut and finger roll (I can't be bothered with the fork thing - take too much time - press and roll with the thumb in a split second - especially when making hundreds and hundreds at a time!)

cook in salted, boiling water - here's the routine - boil the water, add the salt, wait for the water to boil again, add pasta and cook

although it is said that they are done when they float - don't believe them - flour is a raw product - cook until DONE!

drain

top with sauce of choice


if no time to boil taters - use ricotta cheese - I prefer homemade because there is no flavor that can compare to it

just substitute your ricotta cheese for the potatoes

much lighter - you can eat more cheese ones than tater ones before filling up - LOL
 
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Thanks! I bought two containers of ricotta at the store the other day.
I will def try this.
 
Mama I just made some ricotta cheese gnocchi following your advice. You could tell they were lighter that the potato ones. Im boing some water with salt and heating some of your marinara. We are going to eat very well.

Thanks so much.
If you lived closer I would probably bug you to death.
You cook the kind of food my husband and I love.
 
My 87 year old neighbor, my husband and myself all agree that your ricotta gnocchi and your marinara sauce is one delish meal. It was so good I took my neighbor a plate lol.

I sprinkled the top with a little fresh parm cheese.
My husband ..Mr. hardly ever gives anything a 10 gave your recipes a 10+.
 
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