I always thought pasta sauce came out of a jar. That’s how my dad made would make spaghetti. He used either Prego or Ragu. In those days, the store bought sauce did not come in low sodium or low sugar or fat free. Now, there are so many different varieties one could spend all day deciphering the ingredients on the back of the jar. So, in efforts to keep it simple, I like to make my own (or at the very least I buy Rao’s Sensitive Marinara Sauce as it’s free of unwanted ingredients that I can’t pronounce. And by the way this is free unpaid advertising for Rao’s!).
Making your own sauce is so easy! If you can boil water, you can make your own sauce! There are 9 ingredients that you will need and this makes about 4 cups:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch crushed red pepper (if you like it spicy you can use more to taste)
1-28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes (whole or crushed) or you can use any brand of tomatoes but I like this brand. Also, you can use fresh cherry or grape tomatoes but you have to roast them first.
Approximately 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
Once you have all the ingredients, I heat olive oil to medium in a large saucepan. I add onion, garlic, and red pepper and sauté until softened about 4 minutes. Then I add tomatoes, basil, bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon (and if you have roasted your own do the same). Then I cover the pot and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
This sauce can also be frozen and will store in the fridge for about a week if you have more than you need.
Try it for yourself and you will see how easy it really is to be your own smart healthy chef!