Marinara sauce (food & wine 1990)

Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 c Extra-virgin olive oil 14-oz. can of Italian plum
2 sm Garlic cloves minced OR Tomatoes lightly drained Crushed and peeled* And finely chopped
2 1/2 lb Plum tomatoes peeled
1/4 ts Salt

Instructions:

Seeded and finely chopped 1/2 ts Pepper OR one 35-oz. can and one 2 tb Shredded fresh basil 1. In a medium nonreactive skillet heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and cook stirring until golden about 4 minutes. Discard the garlic if desired. 2. Add the tomatoes salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until thickened about 30 minutes. Soft bits of tomato will remain and the sauce should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. (The sauce can be made ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.) Stir in the basil just before serving. * Crushed peeled garlic cloves can be discarded after browning for a very subtle flavor or left in and discarded at the end of cooking for a slightly more emphatic garlic taste. More often than not I used minced garlic and leave it in. This gives the sauce a strong garlic flavor. NOTE: Many southern Italians refer to a quick tomato sauce as "marinara" because it could be made at a moment's notice by a fisherman's wife upon her husband's return. Serve over breaded or fried foods or mixed into baked pasta dishes or spaghetti it is the most common southern Italian tomato sauce. I like to make a simple marinara which I can later adjust by adding sauteed onions other fresh herbs such as oregano parsley marjoram or rosemary or by adding hot peppers. Food and Wine August 1990