This sauce is a breeze to make, and you can use it for your homemade pizza, as a sauce for eggplant parm, or just over pasta.

• • 2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin or light olive oil
  • lots of fresh garlic- maybe 6-8 cloves finely chopped
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar (optional)

In saucepan over medium flame, heat oil, add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, and saute till garlic is translucent.  Add crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper, and simmer covered over low flame for about 1 hour.  Re-season as needed.

I have been making my homemade meat sauce with meatballs  for the last 3o years, and it remains a family favorite.  But recently, my children have been requesting that I make marinara sauce with meatballs as a lighter and healthier alternative.  So my challenge was to make sure my meatballs would be just as delicious even though they wouldn’t be cooking in my meat sauce.  Well, I did it!  My inspiration to develop the recipe came from my daughter Randi, who thought her baby, Noah, would love the meatballs.  Randi and her husband Dan have been vegetarians for the last 10 years, but have started eating meat again, but they still don’t want a meat overload.  So the perfect compromise is a great marinara sauce with my incredible meatballs.  As a bonus to health, I found fabulous organic ground beef at Costco.  It comes in vacuum sealed 1 pound packages which can be easily frozen, and easily defrosted.  The meat was absolutely beautiful, and had the freshest smell when  I opened it.  What a find!  This is a delicious and economical recipe that you are sure to enjoy. Update 2019: I buy my ground beef at Whole Foods- 85%.

for the meatballs:

3 pounds organic chopped meat (or ground turkey)

3  extra large eggs

about 3/4 cup ketchup

about 3/4 cup plain  bread crumbs ( I once substituted about 1/4 cup of organic oats and 2 tablespoons wheat germ for some of the bread crumbs, and the meatballs were just as good as when I use all breadcrumbs.)

kosher salt, garlic powder, and ground pepper to taste

Mix with clean hands gently; do not overmix.

Form into meatballs with a diameter of about 1 1/2 inches.

In a very large nonstick frying pan, put a drop of canola or olive oil.  Heat, then put meatballs in over low-medium flame, and brown for just a few minutes over a medium heat.  Turn meatballs and then COVER pan.  You do not want to really brown them all over, because they can become tough.  It is almost as if you are steaming them.  Take cover off a few times and turn meatballs.  This should be a gentle process.  Discard fat as you cook meatballs.  When meatballs seem pretty cooked, transfer them with slotted spoon into your pot of marinara sauce being careful to drain as much fat as possible before putting meatballs in sauce.  The meatballs don’t have to be fully cooked when they go in the sauce, because they will finish cooking in the sauce.  Simmer the meatballs in the marinara sauce over a low heat for at least another hour with cover on over a very low flame.  Recipe for marinara sauce is below.

for the marinara sauce:

about 1/3 cup olive oil

4 or 5 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes (Cento)

1 small can tomato paste

6-8  garlic cloves, crushed or minced

2 medium or 1 large onion, chopped very fine (I use the metal blade of the food processor and I pulse the onion until it is the consistency of chunky apple sauce)

kosher salt, freshly cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

1 tablespoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or dried herbes de provence

1 teaspoon of sugar, if you like

Pour about 1/3 cup of olive oil in a very large saucepan.  Add crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon.  Then saute the onion till translucent, add the chopped or crushed garlic cloves, and saute with the onion till soft.  Add all  the tomato product, about 8 – 12 oz. of water if you think the sauce is too thick, about 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to taste.  Cover and simmer over low flame mixing every 10 or 15 minutes.

After the marinara has been cooking for about 45 minutes, add the meatballs which you have prepared and par-cooked as instructed above.  Then simmer meatballs in sauce over lowest flame for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours with cover on.

Add more seasonings as needed.  Serve over pasta of your choice.  Or you can let the sauce cool and freeze it in quart containers with the meatballs.

I was over at my daughter’s house a few weeks ago.  She had some beautiful organic cherry tomatoes on the counter.  So I made a quick tomato sauce and tossed it with some fusilli and it was delicious.  She told me the next day that her husband Dan actually did something only my son Benji has done, he picked up his plate and licked it clean!

• • about 12 ounces of fusilli pasta
  • about 1/4 cup of olive oil (I use light)
  • 2 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes (cut in half)
  • 6 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperabout 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped (you may substitute 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn)

Boil water in large pot for pasta.  Then cook pasta till al dente, reserving a little of the pasta water.

In medium-large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add red pepper flakes, and saute a minute or so .  Add grape or cherry tomatoes, the salt, pepper, and cook over medium heat until tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4-6 minutes.  Then add the minced garlic, and saute another minute or two.  Last, add the oregano, and cook another minute.

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce.  Add a little pasta water if pasta seems a little dry.

Optional:  Add 4 – 8 oz. of diced fresh or block mozzarella cheese and toss it before you serve pasta.  I have made this both ways, but I prefer it without the cheese.

THIS IS A VERSATILE, AUTHENTIC ITALIAN MARINARA SAUCE YOU CAN MAKE IN 30 MINUTES AND YOU CAN USE WITH CHICKEN PARMESAN, BAKED ZITI, LASAGNA, PIZZA, OR TO GO WITH YOUR FAVORITE PASTA!

Recently, I developed a new recipe for marinara sauce, and it was so rich and delicious, and so so easy to make.  This marinara sauce is as good as any I have eaten in any Italian restaurant!  I have used it to make my chicken Parmesan, my baked ziti,and for pasta with marinara, and it is superb!  You just have to try it!

• 1/4 cup of olive oil (I use light)
• 3 large garlic cloves, grated (Use a micro-plane and grate garlic right into the pot)
• about 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• about 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
• 2  28 oz. cans good crushed tomatoes (the quality of the tomatoes makes a huge difference.  I love the brand, Sclafani- the tomatoes are incredible)

Over low flame, pour oil into pot.  Sprinkle in red pepper flakes.  Saute for a minute.  Then cook onions about 3 min.  until translucent.  Add garlic, salt, and pepper.  Saute for one minute more.  Pour tomatoes in.  Put thyme in.  Cover and simmer over low flame about 20 -30 min.  Taste and re-season.  If sauce seems too thick, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.

Note:  I got the idea from watching Rachel Ray to use the micro-plane to grate the garlic, and it’s a great idea!

This Recipe For Spaghetti and Marinara Sauce Is Light And Healthy!

For years, whenever I made spaghetti, I made my recipe for spaghetti with meat sauce. But when my daughter Randi was in fourth grade, she started to not like eating meat in general. I realized that I needed to master the art of cooking a really good marinara sauce. It did take quite a bit of experimenting before I hit on really good recipe that my kids really liked. I love the fact that this recipe makes about 4 quarts, because then I can freeze 3 quarts and always have some homemade sauce on hand in the freezer. I use this sauce for my baked ziti, my homemade pizza, for eggplant parmesan, and of course for any type of pasta over marinara sauce. You will be happy and your family will be very happy when you make this, I promise!

for the marinara sauce:

This recipe makes about 4-5 quarts of sauce, so if you wish to make less, just halve each ingredient.

• • 3, 4, or 5 28 ounce cans of peeled plum tomatoes in thick puree or tomato juice (I prefer the puree because it makes the sauce a little thicker) – or you may substutute can of good crushed tomatoes (Sclafani is best)
  • 1- 8 ounce can of tomato paste
  • 1 very large or 2 medium onions
  • 6-8 cloves of garlic
  • extra virgin, pure, or light olive oil (I use the light)
  • kosher salt
  • crushed red pepper
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • scant teaspoon granulated sugar- optional
  • herbes de provence- just a sprinkling or about 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme
  • freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for serving

Peel and quarter the onions. Put them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse the onions until they are almost pureed; they will have the consistency of apple sauce (this adds body and flavor to the sauce without the pieces of onions that many children find objectionable). Then peel the garlic cloves, and crush them using a garlic press. Set the garlic aside. Put about 1/4 cup of olive oil in the bottom of a pretty big and heavy pot over a low to medium flame. Put about 1/2 teaspoon of crushed pepper in the oil. (I’ve been using my Le Creuset dutch oven lately, but for years, I made this sauce in my big Farberware pot, and it came out just as good.) After a minute or so, dump the onions in, and saute them until they are really translucent and soft. Then add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute or two.

Rinse out the bowl and blade of the food processor, and then put all the whole tomatoes in, reserving all the puree or juice. Pulse the tomatoes, until they are quite, but not totally smooth. You want the tomatoes to still have just a little bit of texture to them, but they should not be in large chunks. Dump the tomatoes into the onion and garlic mixture, and add all of the puree from the cans. Then, add the one can of tomato paste.

Add kosher salt to taste, about 2 teaspoons, and some freshly ground pepper, about 8 grinds, put the top on, and simmer over a low to medium flame for about 30-45 minutes. Then, taste the sauce. At this point, I usually add a little less than a teaspoon of sugar, and about 1/4 teaspoon of herbes de provence. If you can’t find herbes de provence, you can substitute an Italian seasoning blend. You may also need to add more salt, and a little more crushed red pepper – if you like your sauce to have a little more heat. Simmer it (cover on) for another 45 min. or an hour over a low flame so that all the flavors can meld with the tomatoes.

to put the whole thing together:

• 1 pound of spaghetti or your favorite pasta
• 3/4 quart, about 28 ounces of marinara sauce
• freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese

Bring 1 large pot of water to a boil. Place pasta in water. Stir around to separate the noodles. Cook according to package directions to your liking. Drain in collander. Then place the pasta back in the pot you cooked it in. (For 1 pound of pasta, add about 3/4 cup of already heated sauce. For 1 1/2 pounds of pasta, you will need 1 quart of sauce.) Then over a low heat, just stir the sauce gently so it coats the pasta. Serve with freshly grated romano or parmesan cheese on the side.

Note: For pasta, I love the brand DeCeco because the pasta really stays al dente even if you cook it a little longer. 

For Pasta and Marinara Sauce, Chicken Parmesan, Eggplant Parmesan, Baked Ziti, Ravioli, or Homemade Pizza 

I developed this recipe because I wanted a vegetarian alternative to my meat sauce recipe.  I needed a perfect recipe for marinara sauce, because there are so many uses for a meatless tomato sauce.  This recipe is so delicious!  I like to always have a few quart containers of this marinara sauce on hand in my freezer.  It’s so easy to take a container out, defrost it in the microwave, and voila, I have the ability to put together a fabulous dinner at the drop of a hat.  Of course, the easiest (and healthiest) thing to do is serve this marinara sauce with your favorite pasta. But I also use it to make my chicken or eggplant parmesan, baked ziti, or ravioli.  I especially love to use it when I make my homemade pizza.  This sauce is so easy to make, that there is no reason in the world to ever use a jarred sauce again.  The flavor is so fresh tasting, so pure tasting, and oh so delicious.  When I served it the last time for company, my companion Jim’s 16 year old daughter, Sarah actually drank the sauce off of her plate. She said, “Judy, what do you put in this to make it so delicious?”  I have also received highest compliments from Jim’s brother-in-law, Hank, who is Italian.  he really knows his Italian food.  Of course, my children, Randi, Danny, and Benji are my biggest fans of this recipe.  I know that once you get the hang of it, you’ll be hooked.  You will be making this marinara sauce over and over again, and your friends and family will be asking you, “Are you sure you’re not Italian?”

This recipe makes about 4-5 quarts of sauce, so if you wish to make less, just halve each ingredient.

• 4- 28 ounce cans of peeled plum tomatoes in thick puree (orcans of Cento crushed tomatoes)
• 1- 8 ounce can of tomato paste
• 1 very large or 2 medium onions
• 6-8 cloves of garlic
• extra virgin, pure, or light olive oil (I use the light)
• kosher salt
• crushed red pepper
• fresh ground black pepper
• scant teaspoon granulated sugar
• herbes de provence
• freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for serving

Peel and quarter the onions.  Put them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Pulse the onions until they are almost pureed; they will have the consistency of apple sauce.  Then peel the garlic cloves, and crush them using a garlic press.  Set the garlic aside. Put a little less than 1/2 cup of olive oil in the bottom of a pretty big pot over a low to medium flame.  Put about 1/2 teaspoon of crushed pepper in the oil. I’ve been using my Le Creuset dutch oven lately, but for years, I made this sauce in my big Farberware pot, and it came out just as good.  After a minute or so, dump the onions in, and saute them until they are really translucent and soft.  Then add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute or two.

Rinse out the bowl and blade of the food processor, and then put all the whole tomatoes in, reserving all the puree.  Pulse the tomatoes, until they are quite, but not totally smooth.  You want the tomatoes to still have just a little bit of texture to them, but they should not be in large chunks. Dump the tomatoes into the onion and garlic mixture, and add all of the puree from the cans.  Then, add the one can of tomato paste.

Add kosher salt to taste, about 2 teaspoons, and some freshly ground pepper, about 8 grinds, put the top on, and simmer over a low to medium flame for about 30-45 minutes.  Then, taste the sauce.  At this point, I usually add a little less than a teaspoon of sugar, and about 1/4 teaspoon of herbes de provence.  If you can’t find herbes de provence, you can substitute an Italian seasoning blend.  You may also add more salt, and a little more crushed red pepper, if you like your sauce to have a little more heat.  Simmer it (cover on) for another  45 min. or an hour so that all the flavors can meld with the tomatoes.

Note:  When I make this sauce to go with pasta, I cook 1 pound of pasta for 4 people, or 1 1/2 pounds of pasta for 6 people.  I drain the pasta in a collander, and put it back in the same pot I cooked it in.  I then add the marinara sauce back to the pasta, using about 3/4 of a quart of sauce for 1 pound of pasta, or 1 quart of sauce for 1 1/2 pounds of pasta.  I heat the pasta with the sauce for a minute or two to coat the noodles beautifully with the sauce.  This recipe will yield about 4 quarts of sauce, so if you use one quart of your sauce initially,  you will have 3 quarts to put in the freezer.  Refrigerate leftover sauce in the quart containers for at least 1 or 2 hours before putting it in the freezer.