Canless Marinara

Speaking of spagetti...

I love marinara sauce. I like it over pasta, I like it in my meat loaf, I like it on my sandwiches, I like it in a bowl with some piping-hot garlic bread to dip in it. It is easily my favorite of all sauces.

The trouble with most marinara recipes is, they require you to use canned ingredients. And this works out fine for the most part, especially if you are in a hurry. But when you use canned ingredients, you end up with a sauce that tastes...well, like it came out of a can. All of those preservatives, additives, and metallic flavors aren't going to go away. And if you happen to be allergic to certain preservatives, you are out of luck.

If you want a fresh-tasting sauce without preservatives, you are going to have to start with fresh ingredients. So I created this recipe, a marinara sauce made from only fresh ingredients. (Okay, mostly fresh ingredients...it still calls for prepared sugar, wine, and oil. But if you have access to the fresh stuff, by all means use it.) It is quite a bit more challenging, but the taste is worth the extra time and effort.

Trav's Fresh Portobello Marinara

6 C. chopped Roma tomatoes
2 C. chopped onion
3 T. fresh garlic, sliced thin
1 C. chopped bell pepper
2 C. chopped portabello mushrooms
2 T. olive oil
1/4 C. red wine
1/8 C. granulated sugar
2 T. fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 T. fresh basil, finely chopped
1 t. fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 t. fresh thyme, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook over medium heat until the tomatoes begin to release their juice and the mixture comes to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer (stirring occasionally) for 30 minutes or until the vegetables begin to disintegrate.

Remove from heat. Place a stainless steel sieve over a large cooking pot, and pour the tomato mixture into the sieve. Stirring slowly with a wooden spoon, force the sauce through the strainer, leaving the vegetable skins and seeds behind. Discard the solids, and bring the remaining sauce to a boil.

Add the wine, sugar, and mushrooms. Simmer uncovered over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the volume is reduced and the sauce has thickened to your liking (this can take a while...up to 2 or 3 hours for a really thick sauce). This is called the "base," in case you were wondering.

Add the basil, parsley, thyme, and oregano. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the sauce, and add salt as needed. Serve immediately with your favorite hot pasta and a glass of red wine.

Makes about 4 cups.

TIPS:
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For a chunky sauce, add 1 cup of diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup diced bell pepper, and 1/2 cup of minced onion (peel and seed those tomatoes and peppers first.) Add these vegetables at the same time you add the herbs, and simmer until tender. Note that these vegetables will release juice as they cook, which will thin the sauce...so if you want a thick, chunky sauce, you will need a very thick base.
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For a meaty sauce, add a pound of fully-cooked italian sausage or meatballs (or both) to the base, at the same time you add the herbs. Remember, fresh ingredients taste best...so get these meats from your favorite Italian butcher the same day you are making the sauce. It would be a crime to spend this much time making a fresh sauce, only to add frozen Johnsonville sausage to it.
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For a cheesy sauce, stir in 1/2 C. of fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (or both) right before serving time.
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And if you are making a chunky, cheesy, meaty sauce, call me. I'll bring the wine.