Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce

I was offered a huge box of garden tomatoes last week, and almost turned them down because I "didn't know what I would do with them all." Yeah, I know, serious blond moment. I recovered from my temporary moment of stupidity and remembered this marinara recipe I found last summer. It freezes beautifully and the uses for it are endless. Spaghetti, chicken parm, even for pizza. This is by far my favorite marinara recipe, it tastes fresh and turns out great every time!

Fresh tomato marinara sauce (an original recipe by rachelle)
8 big garden tomatoes, or 10 romas (must be garden fresh. no blando supermart tomatoes! if you must, use a couple big 28 oz cans/quarts of tomatoes.)
1/2 onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar ( I left this out)

drop half of the tomatoes into boiling water in a big stockpot and boil for 45 seconds. remove to a big bowl of ice water. repeat with the other half of the tomatoes. peel dump the water out of the stockpot to use for sauce. set aside.

chop the onion. preheat the oil in the stockpot. (sure you could use less oil, but it adds richness and flavor. minimum 2 Tbsp. ok.) drop the onion in the oil and soften for 5 mins over medium heat.

working quickly, peel the skins off of the tomatoes, they should slide right off after you break the skin. cut out cores and cut tomatoes into big 2-3 inch chunks. (they cook so long, they break down. you can cut them in huge quarters.)

drop the tomatoes into the pot with the onions. add in all of the tomatoes, the garlic and the bay leaf. bring to a boil. hard simmer for a half hour.

add basil, oregano, salt, and sugar. adjust seasonings to taste. (it just depends on your tomatoes. sometimes you need more or less salt, more sugar, just taste. but for heavens sakes, blow on the spoon alot before you taste. just a tip i've come by the hard way. six thousand times.)


hard simmer another half hour. liquid should have boiled down and reduced by about half. stir in balsamic vinegar. taste, maybe add another teaspoon balsamic.

Penne alla Vodka

Penne alla Vodka. Sounds fancy, tastes delicious! My husband isn't much of a pasta eater but loved this recipe, so did my daughter. I froze half of the sauce to use for another meal and it was perfect the second time around. This is one for the books for sure!

 

 

Penne alla Vodka
from Cook's Illustrated

1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes, drained (liquid reserved)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 lb penne (or other pasta shape)
1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, until just shy of al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, add half of the tomatoes to your food processor and pulse until smooth. Dice the remaining tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Combine the diced and pureed tomatoes in a 2-cup measuring cup, and if necessary, add the reserved liquid until the total measures 2 cups.

Set a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Stir in the onion and tomato paste, then cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Take the pan off of the heat and add the vodka. Return to the burner, increasing the heat to medium-high, and simmer until the alcohol flavor is mostly cooked off, about 8-10 minutes (lower the heat to maintain a simmer if necessary). Stir in the cream and cook just until hot, about 1 minute.

Add the pasta back to the pot you cooked it in. Pour the sauce over the pasta, and toss over medium heat until the pasta absorbs some of sauce, about 1-2 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, you can add some (or all) of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin. Stir in the basil and season to taste with additional salt, if necessary. Serve, garnished with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.