My "base for Everything" Zippy Marinara Sauce

"I use this sauce for lasagne, manicotti, eggplant parmesan, and plain ole spaghetti and meatballs. In other words, it lends itself to all those dishes yet stands up well on its own. Recipe can easily be halved (which is usually enough for one large pan of the above) but also freezes nicely. Can be pureed with a hand blender if you so choose, but I like it a bit chunky. Peperoncino piccante concentrate is a blend of hot red peppers and olive oil, available at Italian groceries. If not locally available, substitute 1 tsp red pepper flakes. With these amounts, this is a rather spicy sauce . . . so adjust as necessary to your tastes !"
 
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Ready In:
1hr 15mins
Ingredients:
9
Yields:
6 cups
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ingredients

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directions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  • Add the onions and cook for five minutes or until they become translucent.
  • Add the garlic (and the red pepper flakes, if using) and cook for one minute.
  • Add the canned tomatoes and stir well.
  • Add the oregano, basil, sugar, peperoncino (if using), salt and pepper.
  • Make sure you crumble the dried spices in your hand when you add them to release the essential oils.
  • Stir well again.
  • Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for one hour.
  • Sauce will cook down a bit and thicken.

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Reviews

  1. i like this on pizza.
     
  2. I halved the recipe and used the red pepper flake option. I used the sauce to make lasagna and it turned out to be the best lasagna I have ever made! It wasn't the exact flavor I was looking for, but still very good, a little spicy, and I will make again.
     
  3. I just realized I had never rated this! Shame on me! I've been making this for months. It is the only sauce I make. I use it for pasta, lasagna, pizza and dipping. Instead of the picante sauce listed, I use the dried peppers from my Aunt's garden. Thanks FlemishMinx!!!!
     
  4. Great simple recipe, i have used it for spaghetti and meatballs, as well as chicken parmesan. Very versatile and very simple, thanks minx.
     
  5. Very nice sauce; quick and easy. I couldn't find the imported Italian tomatoes at my store, and used domestic diced tomatoes. I had everything else on hand. It was still tasty!
     
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Tweaks

  1. I just realized I had never rated this! Shame on me! I've been making this for months. It is the only sauce I make. I use it for pasta, lasagna, pizza and dipping. Instead of the picante sauce listed, I use the dried peppers from my Aunt's garden. Thanks FlemishMinx!!!!
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I am an American married to a Belgian, and have lived in Belgium since December 1999. Cooking is my major hobby. I'm also an avid reader, but I have difficulty finding the time. I love to travel. Since moving to Europe I've been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to go a couple of times per year to Paris, as well as having visited London, Rome, Florence, Naples, Amsterdam, and of course Brussels and Antwerp. I've seen at least parts of most regions of France, as well as parts of Germany, Austria, a great deal of Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Luxembourg, and Monaco. I'm absolutely in love with the Bay of Naples and Sorrento coast areas of Italy, which my husband and I recently re-visited on a trip that included Rome, Puglia, Umbria and Marche. I'm still looking forward to Ireland, Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic . . . the list is too long ! One of the bonuses of travel is getting to taste the local cuisine, and afterward trying to figure out how to duplicate it at home. I think cooking is one of the nicest things a person can do for someone they love (including themself!) I had to submit a picture with me and my cat, Sophie, as she insists on sitting in my lap when I'm sitting at the computer. If you are wondering what all that stuff hanging on the wall behind us in the photo is, it is just a small part of my husband's military medal collection. He was appalled by my posting this picture-- Our study is the messiest room in our house (thank god!)
 
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