Pasta Sauce

     I have been sitting at my computer much of the day trying to think of a good story to tell about my mom's marinara sauce. I cannot. It is impossible for me to think of just one instance that makes this sauce a special part of my childhood. It IS my childhood. This sauce is my Christmases, my birthdays, my accomplishments, my lazy Sundays. It is my tears, my sickness, my disappointments. It is the piece of my family that I will always have with me no matter how far I may go.
     I like it not only nostalgically but because it is delicious! It is a basic for any kitchen. Add cream and vodka to serve with Penne. Bake with eggplant and serve with cheese. Use it as a dipping sauce for fried anything: green tomatoes, mozzarella, chicken, zucchini, calamari, and just about anything else. This is a large batch that will feed four people 5 or 6 meals. I make a batch every two weeks and freeze it in appropriate portions. Just take it out of the freezer and refrigerate it the day before you need it. If you forget to thaw it, just run some hot water over the container and heat the entire frozen block on the stove on low heat. In case you were wondering, I almost never remember to thaw it the day before.

Now, without any further ado, the recipe.

This recipe is gluten-free and the option of vegan and lactose-free.

What you need:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced small
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
3 large cans Crushed Tomatoes
1 small can Tomato Paste
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Dried Basil
4 tsp Dried Parsley
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan (Optional)

     Begin by gathering everything you need. Before I start chopping my onion and garlic I like to open all my cans. I am prone to forgetting to open them once I start cooking and that often leads to burnt onions.

      To dice the onion, cut off the ends and peel. Next, cut it in half from end to end. This provides you a flat surface and a guide for what is called the 'radial julienne'. A julienne is a knife cut that is 1/8 inch thick and about 1 1/2 inches long. When you cut something spherical into a julienne it is called a radial julienne. To do this, hold the onion with the hand not holding the knife. Use the middle of the blade to slice the onion every 1/8 inch around the onion from one side to the other, always ending in the center. Like this:

     The onion naturally has lines running the same direction you are cutting so use them as a guide. Once you get the julienne cuts, turn the onion and cut perpendicularly, creating a dice. 

    Now heat the oil in a large sauce pot over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to thin out and spread over the bottom of the pot, add the onions and the garlic. Quick tip: To peel garlic, place clove under the side of you knife and bang it! The skin should separate from the garlic making for a quick and easy peel.

     Saute the onions and garlic until the onions begin to turn translucent. 

     Next add the tomato paste. Stir until the paste is well combined with the onions and let it cook for a few more minutes. As the tomato pastes cooks it caramelizes, making a fond, and adds a little sweetness and more depth to the flavor of the dish.

     When you can see the tomato paste sticking to the bottom of the pan, add the crushed tomatoes. You may have a hard time finding crushed tomatoes without basil. Don't worry about it! You are going to be adding basil to the sauce anyway so it doesn't make a difference.

     After you have added the crushed tomatoes, rinse the sides of the cans with water. Do this until each can is about half full and add the water to the sauce. This allows for a thinner sauce to start, giving you a nice consistency to the sauce even after it cooks all day. 

Now add the rest of the ingredients. 

     If you do not have any dietary restrictions I highly recommend the parmesan. It balances out some of the acidity and gives the sauce a kind of nuttiness that is missing without the cheese. 

     This is the easy part; stir, turn the heat down as low as it goes, and cook for 1-4 hours. I recommend cooking it for 4 hours but I know not everyone has that kind of time. Basically, cook it as long as you can under 4 hours. The longer you cook it the more acid and water will evaporate and the flavors will be better blended. Cover to prevent a splattered mess on your stove top and stir occasionally to keep it from sticking. 

     After 4 hours you will have a deep, rich, thick sauce that begs to be poured over anything willing to become a vehicle for it. 

To freeze, place in appropriately sized freezer containers and allow to cool for several hours before freezing. For best sanitation, place containers in flat pan filled with ice water and stir. Properly cooling food is very important in stopping the growth of bacteria.

Do you have a dish that reminds you of your childhood? Tell me about it. I know I cannot be the only one who remembers my life by what I was eating. 

The sweetened condensed version:

• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, diced small
• 3 cloves Garlic, chopped 
• 3 large cans Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 small can Tomato Paste
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp Dried Basil
• 4 tsp Dried Parsley
• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 tsp Salt (plus more to taste)
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan (Optional)

Method of preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large sauce pot. Saute onions and garlic until the onions become translucent. 

2. Add tomato paste and stir until combined with onions. Cook 2 minutes or until it begins to stick to the pan. Add crushed tomatoes. 

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined. Cover and cook 1-4 hours, stirring occasionally. 

4. Divide into containers and allow to cool before freezing or serve immediately over your favorite foods.