The Best Marinara Sauce

Since living in Italy I have been spoiled to the finner peasant food from my late landlady who could cook the best marinara sauce in all of Italy . Her marinara sauce would have won awards in on of those cooking shows!

Since then I have made it my mission to find the best recipe for marinara sauce. I learned to cook my own recipe over the years but never measured up to hers. I have searched high and low, tasted thousand of Marinara Sauces and never really found anything like that simple pot of marinara sauce she use to cook.

The other day I was at the doctors office and there was a Cooking Light Magazine. One of the articles was on "simple multipurpose marinara sauce". I all most jumped out of my skin thinking what a great article. I am always up for the challenge for a making a new pot of marinara sauce. I find it intoxicating to cook a slow pot of marinara sauce. it makes the house smell so good. To me this is the best comfort food.

This recipe intrigued me; It called for chicken broth and balsamic vinegar. Two ingredients I have never put in my marinara sauce.

Reply on a large Dutch oven or stock pot because this recipe makes enough sauce for several meals. Cook the a low simmer-just a few bubbles every few seconds will yield the deepest taste.

I made some simple changes to the recipe because we were leaving on vacation next week and did not want to freeze that much marinara sauce and with 2 simple changes from the large version turned out just be the right amount for a few dishes.

MULTIPURPOSE MARINARA SAUCE

3Tbs olive oil
3C chopped very small yellow onion
1 med carrot
2 med stalks of celery
1Tbs sugar (or to your taste) I used several more than 2
3Tbs minced garlic (about 6 cloves) mash to get the juices flowing
2tbs of sea salt
2tbs dried basil ( I used frozen)
1 1/2 tbs dried oregano
1tbs dried thyme
1tbs fresh black pepper
Sea salt to your taste
2tbs balsamic vinegar
2 Cups fat-free less sodium chicken broth ( I used 1cup)
3 (28oz)cans no salt-added whole tomatoes from (Cent0)(I used 2 cans)

Do your prep work: Chop the carrot, celery, onion and garlic, set aside.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan: cook 4 mins, stirring frequently then add garlic, carrot, celery and some of the sugar. Cook until almost burned, This will take some time. This caramelized bed of goodness will make your marinara sauce.

Add the dried ingredients, cook 1minute and then add tomatoes, chicken broth and vinegar: bring to a simmer. Add sugar to taste.

cook over low heat for about 1 hour or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally to prevent burning at the bottom of the pan.

One of the ways i used the marinara sauce:

Heat a med size pan and place about 1Tbs of olive oil, chopped garlic stir until soft. Then add some clams and cover for a few minutes. Add some fresh cleaned shrimp, cook for about 4-5 mins and then add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of fresh marinara sauce, grated Parmesan cheese, salt to taste and fresh chopped parsley. Add a Tbs of butter and large drizzle of olive oil to finish.

This sauce had to be the closet thing to my days in Italy