Recipe By :
Serving Size : 3 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Italian Sauces
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 c Extra-virgin olive oil
2 sm Garlic cloves, minced OR
Crushed and peeled*
2 1/2 lb Plum tomatoes, peeled,
Seeded and finely chopped
OR one 35-oz. can and one
14-oz. can of Italian plum
Tomatoes, lightly drained
And finely chopped
1/4 ts Salt
1/2 ts Pepper
2 tb Shredded fresh basil
1. In a medium nonreactive skillet, heat the oil over moderately low heat.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 4 minutes. Discard
the garlic if desired. 2. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Soft bits of tomato will
remain, and the sauce should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon.
(The sauce can be made ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator for up to
4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.) Stir in the basil just before
serving. * Crushed, peeled garlic cloves can be discarded after browning
for a very subtle flavor or left in and discarded at the end of cooking for
a slightly more emphatic garlic taste. More often than not I used minced
garlic and leave it in. This gives the sauce a strong garlic flavor. NOTE:
Many southern Italians refer to a quick tomato sauce as "marinara" because
it could be made at a moment's notice by a fisherman's wife upon her
husband's return. Serve over breaded or fried foods or mixed into baked
pasta dishes or spaghetti, it is the most common southern Italian tomato
sauce. I like to make a simple marinara, which I can later adjust by
adding sauteed onions, other fresh herbs, such as oregano, parsley,
marjoram or rosemary, or by adding hot peppers.
