Marinara fail

[scottcolbath]

I tried making marinara sauce last night. Since I was short on time, I went with a can of tomoto puree. Other than that, it had fresh basil and garlic. Dry oregano and parsley. I let it simmer for an hour and it was just lame. I added a little brown sugar because it was too acidic, then a little salt. Still lame, so I added some shredded parmigiano reggiano. At that point it was OK, so I just cooked up some pasta and had dinner.

Still, not a good effort. What do you guys like? How do you make it?

S.C.

[Food Network Fan]

I use onion and sweat them first, dried spices (Penzey's Italian Seasoning and a little tuscan sunset) Italian tomato puree, a little squirt of honey, garlic and sometimes a little anchovy paste. Salt and Pepper.

I have added parmesan while cooking or just served it with it on top for pasta. For Spaghetti I add ground beef in with the onion and brown.

[BerryBaby]

My favorite tomato sauce recipe is from Michael Chiarello, "My Mother's Tomato Sauce". You can find it on the FN website. Very easy and excellent!

[Pluff Mudder]

My favorite tomato sauce is super simple and good. Two cans of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, a couple large yellow onions cut into quarters and 1 stick of butter. Put all in a pot together, bring to a boil and then simmer for a hour. Everything breaks down and you are left with this nice sauce with small bits of tomato and onion in it.

[bakerman]

When I make marinara I cook the onion over med low until it is quite soft but not browned I add some fresh garlic and let that cook for a minute and then add, 2 14-15 oz cans of stewed tomatoes (smashed up or blended I don't like chunks), a small can of paste, some dried basil and oregano salt and pepper. I add a bit of sugar if it is too acidic. Since the tomatoes are stewed they already have a cooked flavor so this sauce only needs a short time on the stove.

Pair this sauce with Sara Moulton's meatballs and you have a match made in heaven.

[bakerman]

My favorite tomato sauce is super simple and good. Two cans of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, a couple large yellow onions cut into quarters and 1 stick of butter. Put all in a pot together, bring to a boil and then simmer for a hour. Everything breaks down and you are left with this nice sauce with small bits of tomato and onion in it.

I love how real San Marzano tomatoes seem to melt into a sauce.

[Bentley Green]

I pretty much make it the same way as speghetti sauce, but without any meat in it.

Then it's good for just about anything that you want with it, such as eggplant or veal parm or chicken parm, over hot-cooked pasta or for a meatless American Chop Suey.

Or, I sometimes put pork cops in it as an alternative to ground meat. It can also be used for chicken caciatori. Works for me. It's very versatile.

[Pluff Mudder]

I love how real San Marzano tomatoes seem to melt into a sauce.

MAC... check out your local Costco. I was there yesterday and found 6 lb. 10 oz. can of the peeled San Marzano tomatoes for under $4.00. Needless to say I grabbed a can. When I open them for use in a dish, I'm planning on putting the rest up in freezer cartons (around 14 to 16 oz. each) and stashing in the freezer. That's a lot better deal than the small cans you get at the grocery stores.

[Bentley Green]

That's good for large quantities of sauce, but if I'm making enough sauce for 1 or 2 batches (or meals), which I usually end up doing, the small cans are just right for me.

Unless you're speaking of the #10 cans - the ones used in commercial food service. That would be too much for me.

Crushed tomatoes usually are sold only in large cans at the supermarkets. I usually get one of them and four smaller cans, each in pairs, of tomao sauce and tomato paste.

Sometimes, I'll get a couple of cans of whole tomatoes as well. I like to keep a few cans of those things on hand in case I get a sudden urge to make an Italian dish.

[bakerman]

That's good for large quantities of sauce, but if I'm making enough sauce for 1 or 2 batches (or meals), which I usually end up doing, the small cans are just right for me.

Unless you're speaking of the #10 cans - the ones used in commercial food service. That would be too much for me.

Crushed tomatoes usually are sold only in large cans at the supermarkets. I usually get one of them and four smaller cans, each in pairs, of tomao sauce and tomato paste.

Sometimes, I'll get a couple of cans of whole tomatoes as well. I like to keep a few cans of those things on hand in case I get a sudden urge to make an Italian dish.

Did you read her post?

she plans on dividing the tomatoes and freezing them.