Marinara

Spaghetti with marinara, parmesan and garden basil

The end of basil season is a good time to make marinara. It’s incredible how good canned tomatoes can taste with basil, garlic + olive oil added. Yes, you should buy true San Marzano tomatoes for this recipe. It’s worth it. Adding a carrot to the pot adds a little sweetness that balances the tomatoes acidity.

28 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes
2 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed
3 inch piece of carrot, peeled
¾ t. kosher salt
Handful of basil leaves

Heavy bottomed 2 quart pot
Food mill on widest setting
Heat-safe bowl, at least 1 quart capacity

Heat the pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Once shimmering, add the smashed garlic and carrot. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes to the pot (carefully, the oil may splatter). Use a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes as much as possible. Bring to a simmer, then add salt and basil and cook about 20 minutes. The sauce should still be bright, but should taste “cooked.” Remove from heat.

Place food mill over the bowl. Remove and discard carrot and basil stems. (Don’t worry about loose leaves, we want those.) Pass the sauce through the food mill. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the food mill to get all the tomato. Use right away

Allow sauce to cool. Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate, use within 5 days. (I like to freeze 2 oz. portions of marinara so I can quickly make single servings of simple spaghetti with parmesan.)

I usually use Cento brand San Marzano tomatoes. Look for the ones that say “product of Italy”, not San Marzano “style” tomatoes.