Recipe: Ridiculously Easy Marinara Sauce

I found this recipe on an online cooking site, and I was amazed at how easy and delicious it is — and I’m all about easy and delicious. While this sauce could be the star of the show in a pasta meal, this variation is mainly as a tomato-y base sauce for meals like lasagna or eggplant parm. I plan on using it as the sauce base for my turkey chili later this week. Feel free to use whatever veggies you like in this recipe (green bell pepper is one idea) — this is nowhere near etched in stone! It’s ridiculously easy, and for a recipe that has so few ingredients, it’s amazingly tasty! Here’s how it’s done.

Ingredients

Ingredients:
– Olive oil
– 5-6 cloves garlic, diced small
– 1 small onion, diced small
– 1 tablespoon sugar
– Fresh basil
– Balsamic vinegar
– 2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes

The Process:
– Heat olive oil in a large pot.
– Add diced garlic and let cook, stirring often, over medium-high heat.
– Tear up for or five basil leaves and toss them in the pot and allow to wilt slightly.
– Pour in crushed tomatoes.
– Add sugar, salt, pepper and herbs of your choice (oregano and thyme work well).
– Let mixture come to a slight boil, reduce to low and let simmer for 45 minutes.
– Drizzle in a teaspoon or two of balsamic vinegar about ten minutes before removing from heat.

This will keep in the fridge for a week, and about six months in the freezer. Go ahead and make a big batch and freeze it for later — easy-squeasy, baby!!!