The Best Marinara Sauce
Today I thought I would share with you my favorite marinara sauce recipe. It is from Giada De Laurentiis. Get the recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/marinara-sauce-recipe2/index.html.
I have been making marinara sauce since I was 10 using my mom’s recipe. It is good, don’t get me wrong, but Giada’s sauce has more depth of flavor and has some added vegetables.
I was searching for recipes that allowed me to add more vegetables into our meals for my son. He wasn’t too thrilled about the transition from pureed foods (homemade I might add) to whole vegetables. He loved the taste of vegetables but hated the texture. We are slowly overcoming this aversion, but recipes like Giada’s marinara sauce incorporate the vegetables in a more subtle way. My son loves the sauce.
Giada’s marinara sauce is super easy to make. The recipe says it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to make. I am too impatient to let the sauce cook as long as she does. It usually takes me no more than 45 minutes from start to finish. I only let the sauce cook for 10-15 minutes after it’s put together. Here’s my version:
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Finely chop one onion while the pan is heating up.
- Add the onions to the pan. Stir. Start a timer for 10 minutes.
- Finely chop the garlic. (Giada uses 1 clove. I tend to use 3 or 4.)
- Add the garlic to the pan when the timer says about 4 minutes.
- Finely chop one stalk of celery and one carrot. (I use two if they are small.)
- Add the celery and carrots to the pan when the timer goes off. Start the timer for another 10 minutes (or until the vegetables are soft).
- Add one can of crushed tomatoes when timer goes off. Stir. (Giada uses a 32 ounce can; I buy a 28 ounce can.)
- Add salt, pepper, and bay leaves. (I usually add 3 or 4 to make up for the lower cooking time.)
This is my version with ground beef. Both sauces - the marinara or the meat sauce are equally as good. - Giada says to simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens (about an hour). I find that my sauce is already a nice consistency – maybe it’s the crushed tomatoes I buy (although I have made the recipe with several brands, so maybe not). I cook the sauce for another 10-15 minutes while I cook the pasta and the bread.
- Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves before you serve the sauce.
This marinara sauce makes a great meat sauce. I use the same amount of onions and garlic, double the celery, carrots, and crushed tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. I add 1 pound of ground beef when the celery and carrots are about half way done cooking. Brown the meat, drain the grease, and continue with the recipe. The meat sauce will give my family of 3 dinner for two nights.
Add this sauce to your favorite pasta – we use 1/2 lb of angel hair pasta with ours. (For Aiden, I cook a couple handfuls of mini penne – it’s easier for him to eat and less messy.) I also use the meat sauce in my lasagna (I essentially follow the recipe on the Barilla lasagna noodle box.)
I hope you enjoy this sauce as much as we do!
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