Marinara and Pasta Sauces

Pasta with Marinara

Never open a jar of store bought sauce again... This is easy and so much healthier and better tasting.
I have two sauces I make for pasta... One with garlic,  onions and finely grated carrots and the other is a thicker simple marinara which I make in a large batch and freeze for pizza, lasagna or anything else I need a red sauce for.

Simple Marinara

2 - 28 oz cans San Marzano Tomatoes -very worth the price.  These tomatoes are grown in soil enriched by lava from a volcano and they are less acid and have wonderful flavor.  I use one can whole and one crushed or two of the same.  I like to use the whole sometimes because of the larger chunks of tomatoes in the sauce.

5 garlic cloves - sliced super thin

Olive Oil - enough to completely cover the bottom of the pan - about 1/4 cup or more

handful of Basil to taste

 1/2 teaspoon agave syrup or 1 teaspoon of sugar - OR- best - 1 large carrot peeled and grated on the finest holes in the grater.

Salt and pepper to taste.

That's it... Here's the how... (But first put up a nice large pot of water to boil)

~Heat the olive oil - don't let it smoke or get too hot.. Gently saute the garlic slices - Watch them as you want them to just get a slight toasty brown color to them.  You can take them out or as I do - leave them in.  (Large sauce pot is best)

~If you are using shredded carrot - add those now.  Saute them for about 2-3 min. until soft

~Carefully now - add the tomatoes - It can splatter so be warned.   Add Sugar or agave if not doing the carrots.

~Cook for 45 min to an hour to thicken a bit.   Add Basil after slightly bruising them a bit and simmer for another 10 min.

~Put SALT in your boiling water.  A good 3 Tablespoons or so.  I use Kosher.
Boil the Pasta and wait about 10 min and pull out a piece or strand and run under cold water and taste.  It should have a slight firmness but not too firm.  If not ready - check every 2 minutes.  NEVER EVER run water over the cooked pasta or put oil in the water.  You want the pasta to be nice and starchy to hold the sauce.

~Drain and put pack in the large pot you boiled the pasta in.  Ladle in some sauce - just enough to wet it a bit.  This will prevent sticking.

Serve in bowls and ladle some sauce on top and sprinkle with sliced basil leaves and Parmesan cheese.
Also great for pizza, eggplant parm and lasagna.

The other Pasta Sauce

Same as above except the first step is to add 1 diced onion to the olive oil, then the garlic and the carrots - no browning of the garlic.  Add tomatoes after 15 min of sauteing the garlic and veggies.  Feel free to add nice briny olives, capers, peppers or whatever you like to this sauce!  If you do olives - Try Feta Cheese on top instead of Parmesan Cheese. 

This sauce is great for spaghetti - veggie dishes with red sauce - baked chicken - baked pasta dishes etc.