Marinara by Ishamael

Used in Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• • 2 big cans of whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 small can tomato paste
  • ½ onion (yellow or white)
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • oregano
  • basil
  • rosemary
  • thyme
  • a splash of whatever red wine you are serving with dinner
  • a pinch of sugar

Method

First, chop up your onion.

Then, your four cloves of garlic. Remember, a clove is just a section of the bulb. Don’t do what my buddy did, and cut up four BULBS of garlic for this recipe. Good lord that was garlic-y!

Meanwhile, blend your cans of whole tomatoes separately in the blender, just until they’re sauce. If you like a really smooth sauce, you can blend them more. With one of the cans, add the tomato paste before you blend.

Saute your onions and garlic with a little olive oil in your sauce pot over medium heat, stirring ocassionally.

Once the onions turn translucent, add the blended tomatoes. I got a little lax with my picture taking for the next bit, so here’s a general description.

Heat the tomatoes-onion-garlic mixture over low to medium heat, stirring ocassionally. Add the oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary to taste. Note: it will take more of these spices than you expect.

Then, I take whatever wine we’re drinking that night and add a decent splash into the pot. Throw a pinch of sugar into the pot at this point as well, and stir well. Here’s a blurry picture of some pinot noir to make you all happy.

Add the meatballs to the pot, and partially cover. Cook for around 30-35 minutes over low heat, stirring ocassionally. It should lightly bubble and simmer during this time.