Back when marinara and Ragu essentially meant the same thing to me, I was not a fan of this traditional pasta sauce. However, making my own marinara from scratch has proven to be incredibly simple and vastly rewarding with its superior flavor. This recipe strikes a balance between all of the ingredients so, unlike with a store-bought sauce, it doesn’t leave my mouth with a harsh, tomatoey bite. I finish the sauce off with a mere capful of red wine vinegar, which helps even more to achieve the harmonious balance between the tomatoes, spices, herbs, and parmesan. This sauce works beautifully on its own piled atop a bed of spaghetti, or it can be the basis of a bolognese sauce. But I even enjoy eating spoonfuls of it with no pasta at all.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- 5-7 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tbsp of pepper flakes
- A few sprigs of basil or oregano
- 1 28 oz can of whole, peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
- A couple pinches of salt (or more to taste)
- ½ cup of finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup of pasta water
- 1 capful of red wine vinegar
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium low heat.
- Add the minced garlic and pepper flakes. Stir to fully coat in oil and let it sizzle for a couple minutes until fragrant.
- Add the sprigs of herbs to the oil. Stir to coat and release the herbs aromas.
- Pour the canned tomatoes into the pan with all of their juices. Use the back of a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes.
- Add in a few pinches of salt. Taste your tomato mixture and if it tastes too tomatoey, add some more salt. Turn the heat up to high.
- When the sauce is bubbling, gradually add the parmesan cheese while stirring. I like to add in a small handful at a time, and constantly stir with my other hand so that the cheese melts into the sauce.
- Bring the heat down as low as it can go, cover the pan, and simmer the sauce for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour stirring occasionally. Now is a good time to start boiling your pasta. Cook according to manufacturer instructions.
- Once it’s time to drain your pasta, put a measuring cup underneath your colander to reserve the water.
- When the tomatoes have reduced and are looking more like a paste than a sauce, add in a splash of the pasta water and stir it immediately into the sauce, emulsifying the water with the tomatoes. Add more water until you have your desired consistency. You do not need to use the full cup.
- Take the sauce off of the heat. Taste it and add more salt if needed. Stir in a capful of red wine vinegar and taste the sauce again. Add more if needed.
