eeoski & others - Marinara request

[Icehouse]

Bernie loves spaghetti. I used to. Now I hate store bought sauces and I am not finding a marinara sauce I like - even at home. So, spaghetti isn't being made very often. Didn't you live in Italy for years? Do you have a marinara recipe you could share???
Thanks!

[rogue]

Tammy, Here is my secret recipe, don't tell anyone.

1 #2 can tomatoes diced 28 oz
1 small can tomato paste
2 cans tomato sauce 15oz each
1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 pound ground beef
olive oil
1 small green pepper chopped
1 med-large onion chopped
1/2 pound (2 links) Italian Sausage Sweet mild or hot your choice
1 clove garlic chopped fine
1/2 pound mushrooms sliced
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil and parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Remove casing from sausage.
Put Tomatoes and tomato sauce and paste in large pot.
Saute peppers, onions, and garlic in olive oil, add to tomato sauce
Brown mushrooms in olive oil, add to sauce
Brown ground beef and sausage in olive oil, and add to sauce
Add cheese, oregano, basil and parsley.
Bring to boil.
Simmer on low heat about 3 hours.

Bob

Edit: My grand parents names were Burnazzo, Gaspari, and Verzin. You will have extra, and it freezes very well for future use.

[Icehouse]

Shhh, Bob. It's just between you and me!
Thanks for sharing!
Tammy

[labmom]

I am not Italian but love Italian food and grew up with an inventive mother who was an amazing cook. If anyone is interested, this marinara sauce has been a family favorite for years.

1 pound of ground beef (or sausage if you prefer)
1/2 green pepper
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic (or more if that is to your taste)
1 small box fresh mushrooms
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 small cans tomato paste
2 small cans tomato paste filled with water
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon each: basil, sage, thyme, anise, and oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Enough olive oil to lightly coat bottom of 5 quart dutch oven

Brown green pepper, onion, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil, until onion is clear. Add ground beef and brown until cooked through. Drain off extra grease. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down and simmer for 45 minutes or until desired consistency.
(Best if made the night before or earlier in the day so spices can mingle).

[eeoski]

Tammy,

I have plenty of pasta sauce recipes. My question to you what you regard as Marinara Sauce...as Marinara (with regard to pizza) is a meatless, simple tomato sauce or (with regard to pasta) is a tomato sauce with fish and/or anchiovies. Let me know what Marinara means to you and I'll go from there. In the interim here is my "basic" tomato based pasta sauce:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic (1 - 2 cloves, minced)
Basil (fresh (roll leaves (6 - 10) then slice to make "ribbons") or dried (1 - 2 tsp))
2 Large Cans of Diced Tomatoes
1 Large Can of Crushed or Pured Tomatoes
Salt (to taste, though I rarely cook with salt...that way everyone can season to their taste...this is VERY un-Italian)
Pepper (preferably fresh ground otherwise I use coarse ground)

Liberally coat bottom of pan with olive oil
Over medium low/low heat add minced garlic and allow to infuse the oil (DON'T let it brown as then it get bitter)
Add basil as well to allow flavor to infuse
Add diced tomatoes and sauce, stir to incorporate all ingredients
Simmer for 10 - 20 minutes minimum to allow flavors to incorporate evenly.

Southern style sauces are MUCH lighter than sauces from the north and, in reality I frequently use just diced tomatoes, but that is a personal choice. You can opt out of the diced tomatoes or use less as you desire.

I add browned ground beef, sliced black olives, sauteed onions, etc. as the "spirit moves."

Ragus/Bolognese sauces are "heavier" sauces with meat and fresh/diced tomatoes are not used the more condensed purees or sauces are used for them.

Important thing with Italian food is using the best quality ingredients that you can for the best flavor.

Robin