Easy Marinara Sauce

I've posted a marinara recipe before, but this is one I can highly recommend as an incredibly easy, quick, and delicious go-to. If you're going to make pasta, lasagna, pizza, anything that requires (or prefers) a hearty tomato sauce, this is the sauce to throw together.

I've also included a serving suggestion - meatball subs! That's what we used this sauce for. (Well, part of it, anyway). We used spicy chicken asiago meatballs that we got at Costco and put them on beautiful demi baguettes that I picked up at the farmers market, topped with some grated mozzarella. They were delicious! And here's a peek:









This recipe comes from the almost-always-reliable Ellie Krieger - I tweaked it a bit to give it a tad more umph. So add this one to the file, or you can memorize it. And use it the next time you want to make something delicious and easy that is still at least semi-homemade.

Easy Marinara Sauce
adapted from Ellie Krieger's "The Food You Crave"
makes about 2 cups of sauce

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons EVOO
1 small onion (or 1/2 large onion), finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (preferably organic)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat EVOO over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.

2. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 20 minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Use as you see fit! Store leftovers for a few days in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.