Spicy Marinara

This mildly spiced marinara is what I made in the fall after the summer tomatoes were gone but I still had plenty of basil, garlic, and chili peppers to play with. I made it to go with a hearty, whole-wheat pasta I'd been given as a gift and its rich thickness really went well with the sturdy noodles.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 9 1⁄2 ounces yellow sweet onions, finely diced (about 1 medium onion)
• 1⁄8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄3 ounce sweet basil, chiffonade (fresh Italian, about 12 leaves)
• 1 1⁄8 ounces garlic, minced (about 3 large cloves)
• 1  small red chili pepper (fresh, any variety, choose your spice level to meet your own tolerances)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 28  ounces crushed tomatoes (canned)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and add the finely diced onion and black pepper. Saute until the onions start to brown. This will take about 5-8 minutes, depending on your stovetop's heat.
2. Lower the heat to medium (about half what it was while browning the onions) and add the basil, minced garlic, chili pepper, and salt. Saute for about 4-5 minutes until the garlic starts to brown, just a bit, around the edges.
3. Add the tomato, stir everything together, lower the heat to medium-low, and cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Covered, simmer the tomatoes for 15 minutes, stirring once, after 7-8 minutes, to keep from sticking.
4. Remove the lid and stir the tomatoes. Simmer and stir occasionally (to prevent scorching), uncovered, until the watery liquids are evaporated or absorbed. This will take about another15 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and either serve right away with pasta or put the sauce in your blender to create a smooth puree.