30 Minute Marinara Sauce

This sauce is super easy, deliciously tasty, and perfect for Lent Fridays!  I don't understand why we continue to buy the bottled sauce with all the preservatives and lack of taste instead of make homemade red sauce because it is so so so easy to do.  

In order to make this sauce perfect just use fresh ingredients (fresh basil, garlic, onion etc.) and make lots so you can't go for the jar of sauce.

I make this sauce a little spicy and shared with some of my friends, one who said she was eating it like soup it was so good.  How I love to share food with friends!

I made some homemade pasta tonight with my new pasta maker finally and oh how easy and fun it was and the pasta was so much better!  

Enjoy this Just Good Food friends!
WARNING: this will make your house smell fantastic, there you've been warned!

Recipe:

1 sweet onion

4-5 cloves of garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

2, 28oz cans of peeled tomatoes 

1/2 cup fresh basil (chopped)

1/3 cup red wine

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp white sugar

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

red pepper flakes

salt and pepper (quite a bit)

Directions:

Guess what friends??? I finally used my new pasta maker from Christmas and it is so easy and fresh pasta tastes incredible (and guess what else you don't have to have a pasta roller to make it!)  Recipe coming soon!

Start by roughly chopping the onion (we will be blending everything to a smooth consistency so no need to be neat).  Cook the onion in a tbsp of olive oil on medium heat until slightly browned (about 5 minutes).  Add garlic halfway through (you can mince the cloves or roughly chop them) and cook.

Add the wine and let reduce to half (about 3-4 minutes), rub the "crud" from the bottom of the pan and add salt and pepper (you'll probably do this several times throughout) the cooking process.

After the wine has reduce to half add the canned tomatoes (some people think canned tomatoes are bad but actually they are picked at the optimal time so they work and taste great if they aren't filled with preservatives), let simmer and flavors form a marriage.

Chop the basil (the more the better, and yes fresh is a must!) and place in the pot along with the balsamic, sugar, and other spices (add garlic powder and pepper flakes to taste and more s&p to taste).

Let sit for another 10 minutes and then, in batches, place in a food processor and blend until a smooth consistency is formed.  Serve over pasta, dip with bread, on a flour tortilla for a quick pizza, or simply a spoon (like my friend...).  

Tommiemedia.com posted an article on eating healthy...SPREAD this to your friends because this sauce cost less than $8 (fresh and organic) and serves at least 4-6.  Enjoy!!