Classic Italian marinara sauce, alla marinara, is made with fresh summer tomatoes or homemade canned tomatoes (pureed tomatoes) and is considered a light sauce. It’s a simple sauce, made with tomatoes, basil, olive oil, garlic, and oregano, but also sometimes olives, capers, and salted anchovies. It’s most often served with spaghetti, linguini, or gnocchi, and sometimes with nothing but a chunk of crusty bread for dipping.
But I like to make it into a hearty sauce, suitable for a chilly fall day and a big pasta, like pappardelle. It’s the same basic recipe, but I double up on the vegetables, add more wine, extra spice, and cook for a much longer time. The longer cooking time thickens it and intensifies the flavors. If you have a rind of parmesan Reggiano, add it to the simmering sauce. If you don’t have a rind, just grate some fresh parm into the sauce just before it is finished. Remember to taste as you go, and re-season as necessary.
Pair this sauce with a good Italian red wine, like a cabernet sauvignon. The rich tannins, black currant, and vanilla hints go extremely well with this sauce.
This recipe is all about simplicity. In the Italian kitchen, when a red sauce is simmering away on the stove, it is common for a family to tear off a chunk of bread and dip it in the sauce as a pre-meal snack. It is such a good idea, why not turn it into the meal itself? A good red sauce, crusty bread, and a good glass of wine or two really does make for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
- 1-2 diced onions
- 1 large rough diced bell pepper
- 2 seeded and diced jalapenos
- 2-3 cloves of diced garlic
- Fresh rosemary, sage, and oregano
- 2 cups dry red wine (something you would enjoy drinking)
- 2 large cans of Imported Italian whole tomatoes
- Tony’s, a good Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes
- Good quality olive oil (something spicy and bold)
Instructions
Saute the onion, bell pepper, and jalapenos in a good splash of olive oil (season well) for at least 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Add the wine, turn up the heat, and cook until the wine is almost all evaporated. Add the tomatoes, plus a can of water, and simmer for at least 1 hour. Remember to taste and re-season as necessary.
I prefer to serve this sauce with a good crusty bread and think that the Brew Paddle, on Porter in Biloxi, makes the best around.