I grew up on marinara sauce and everyone in my family claims that they make the best. My mother beats everyone -- she has never revealed her secret, but I know that there is something she does and keeps it from us so that her "Queen of Marinara" reign continues to hold. The version I have made for years required only slight adjustments to make it diet friendly.
The end result works great with whole grain pastas, a piece of chicken baked in the oven with low fat cheese as an accompaniment to delicious turkey meatballs... go ahead and get creative. Soon you will be slathering this sauce on just about everything.
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
- 1 tbsp chopped oregano
- 2 cans crushed tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon zest (optional)
In a large sauce pan heat up the olive oil. Sautee the onions until translucent and then add in the garlic. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Toss in the herbs and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and let simmer on low for 10-15 minutes making sure the sauce does not boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
I always add in about a tsp of lemon zest to my sauce. It adds a fresh flavor and lovely little zing.