It’s easy enough to find a decent marinara at any grocery store, but, I think it is worth it to make my own. At this point I am using canned crushed tomatoes (so it isn’t totally from scratch), eventually, I will get to cooking down fresh tomatoes to make this sauce as well. I’m a big fan of onions and garlic – the smell of onions and garlic is one of the most comforting that I can think of – and, especially love garlicy sauce, so I make sure that this one is going to highlight the garlic. I’ve added a few other little things to deepen the flavor and making sure to simmer for a long time (at least 2 hours) so that the sauce can really being all the flavors together is key to a rich sauce. I like my sauce to be a little chunky, so I like it as it is, but, if you like it smooth you can use an immersion blender or put it in a blender to achieve your preferred texture.
1 large or 2 small Onions, diced
6 (or more) cloves Garlic, minced
2 – 28 oz cans Crushed Tomatoes
2 TBSP Tomato Paste
2 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
1 ½ tsp Pepper
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Dried Basil
Pinch of Sugar
Sauté onion in Extra Virgin Olive Oil until translucent, add garlic and continue to sauté until both are browned. Add crushed tomaotes, tomato paste, and balsamic vinegar and season. After it comes to a boil, turn down heat and cover to simmer. Let simmer until it cooks down, at least 2 hours.
This stores best in glass jars in the refrigerator and should keep for a few weeks (if it lasts that long).