Marinara Sauce

The ingredient list is small, and the cooking time short- my marinara sauce is robust and full of flavor without being a slave to the stove. My secret? A few key ingredients and putting your trusty oven to work. And while I’m sure all the Nonna’s out there are gasping, I promise you the end result is just as good as a pot of sauce that’s been simmering on the stove for hours.

I know anchovies are an extremely polarizing ingredient, but let me tell you, they are the secret to taking a good pot of marinara sauce to a great one. You could leave them out if you want, but I’m going to urge you to try it. There is no fishy taste or smell, and they completely dissolve in the sauce almost immediately upon hitting the heat. What you are left with is a magical hint of umami, much like the flavor that a good dose of parmesan will impart on a dish.

The sauce starts on the stove just to soften the onion and garlic, wake up the dried herbs, and incorporate the tomatoes. Then the whole pot goes in the oven for 30 minutes, where it reduces down and the flavors concentrate into a rich sauce that tastes like it has been cooking all day. Add some fresh basil and puree the whole thing into a smooth and silky sauce. Buon Appetito!

Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/3 C onion, diced

scant 1/4 C garlic cloves, minced (approximately 1 head of garlic)

3-4 anchovy filets

1 Tbsp fennel seed

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp kosher salt

28 oz can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes

28 oz can tomato sauce

1/2 C basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large oven safe pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, anchovy filets, fennel seed, oregano, and salt, and sauté until the onions have softened and are translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Break up the whole tomatoes with a potato masher, or your hands as you add them to the pot. Stir to combine everything and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce has visibly reduced by about 1/4. Remove from the oven and add basil leaves. Using an immersion blender or a stand alone blender, puree the sauce until smooth.