Homemade Marinara Sauce

I am not normally a spaghetti kind of girl. I never understood why people would go out and order spaghetti when there were so many more exciting choices on the menu, especially when spaghetti is so easy to make at home. Spaghetti has always seemed like the fall back meal to me. The “where has the day gone-it’s 5:00 already and I haven’t shopped for groceries-what’s for dinner” meal. I confess, I think I only made spaghetti maybe twice last year. It just never excited me.

New confession – I’ve made this recipe twice this month. It is easy and it is good wonderful. Though I don’t think I’ll ever be a fan of eating spaghetti every single week, it is easily one of my new favorites. I didn’t have time to make the accompanying homemade meatballs either time, but I’m sure they are delicious.

The great thing is, the sauce is good enough to eat on it’s own on pasta with a big green salad on the side and some nice Italian dressing. We ate it with egg fettuccine from Al Dente Pasta. Easily the best store bought pasta I’ve eaten. It cooks in 3 minutes, and that just makes this easy meal even faster to make.

Are you hungry for pasta now? Don’t forget to enter the Al Dente Pasta GIVEAWAY. Leave entries at this post. While you’re at it, browse all their amazing flavors in their online store – this giveaway is Winner’s Choice!

Homemade Marinara Sauce
adapated from Ina Garten

• 1 Tbs good olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c red wine, such as Chianti
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

This sauce freezes wonderfully.