Simple Marinara

After a busy weekend, I wasn’t up for cooking much. I grabbed a few items from the pantry and refrigerator and prepared this simple marinara recipe. I let it simmer for a few hours, and I served it over angel hair pasta (my daughter’s favorite). My daughter said it was the best I’ve ever made and way better than store-bought. My husband, son, and I also thought it was delicious, and it paired well with a garden salad and some crusty bread.

Simple Marinara

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• ¼ tsp of dried oregano
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, more if you want it spicy
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 (15-oz) can of tomato sauce
• 1 (28-oz) can of whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Pinch of sugar, to taste
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

How to Make a Simple Marinara:

Heat the butter or olive oil in a small Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft.

Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Add the tomato sauce and hand-crushed whole tomatoes. Season with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and a touch of sugar.

Cover with a lid and let simmer for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and re-season if needed.

Add the chopped basil and ladle over the prepared al dente pasta.

Serve and enjoy.