M. Suzanne Terry

My family has an interesting quirk in that, while so many of us grow many of our own vegetables (or trade with neighbors who do), we often resort to canned or jarred sauces. For example, most of the sauce for spaghetti we ate when I was growing up was premade and shelf-stable. Given how many other things we made from scratch, this gave me the idea that sauce was difficult or time-consuming to make.

I was so happy when I figured out I was mistaken.

These days, I make most of my own sauces. Some of them are quick; some of them are slow-cooked and 100% worth the time and effort.

A good tomato sauce can be either.

When I have the time, my favorite way to make a basic marinara is with a bunch of fresh tomatoes, peeled and roasted. Roast some onions, garlic, and a little red pepper. I add some seasonings (see below regarding my own preferences), and then slow-cook it on low for 3-4 hours. So good.

The quicker version is also no slouch, and it only takes about 10-15 minutes.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• As much garlic as you want
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes (the fire-roasted kind if they’re in stock)
• Italian seasoning blend, to taste [you can buy this if you want, but if you have a good herb/spice collection, it’s just as easy to mix your own. Mine contains oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, and red pepper flakes.]
• A couple of shakes of cayenne pepper (probably about 2 teaspoons), or to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh basil or parsley to serve (optional)

Steps:

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Saute the garlic and onion together until a little soft (about 3 minutes).
3. Pour in the tomatoes and let it warm up to a simmer.
4. Add seasonings. You can do what you want, but my advice is don’t be stingy. Mine has a good layer of green across the top of the sauce before I stir it in.
5. Add cayenne to give it a little kick. If you’re feeding some sensitive mouths, I recommend starting with a little (1/2 teaspoon), stirring, simmering, and then testing to see if you want to add more. You can, of course, leave it out altogether if you want.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. After the tomatoes have been simmering with the spices for about 5 minutes, it is ready to serve. Use it to top pasta or any other time you need a tomato sauce. It’s a particularly delicious sauce to use when you’re making Eggs in Purgatory (lean toward more cayenne) or Shakshuka (add paprika and roasted red peppers).

What’s your favorite type of sauce to make?

I’m talking about food and family and all the related quirks this month.