Salsa Marinara aka Marinara Sauce

A very long time ago I took an Italian cooking class in the city (Chicago) that was taught by a professionally trained chef who spent a significant amount of time cooking and learning in Italy. This was the class where I learned how to make fresh pasta, but the fresh pasta making stage of my life has been replaced with the purchasing of pasta as there are so many more options and choices these days. In addition to making pasta, one of the dishes we prepared was made with rabbit. And that was the first and last time I had ever made or eaten it (having rabbits as pets changed my perspective).

However, since I had taken that class I have on my bucket list a trip to Italy to spend at least a week immersed in cooking classes. Someday maybe. But until then I will have to learn from Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich and my best friend Donna.  And if the book Julia and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously wasn't already written, I would be inspired to write one called Lidia and Lynn: My Year of Cooking With Passion. Is not imitation the highest form of flattery or would this be akin to plagiarism? Okay, so no book for the moment, just some blogging.

During my recent trip back to the midwest dinner at my best friend's house started with a pasta course, miniature gnocchi in a marinara sauce topped with goat cheese. I could have stopped eating after this course so that I could just savor the flavors I was experiencing. Seriously my best friend should be the next Food Network star, not only because of her cooking skills but also because of her charisma and storytelling abilities. The taste of that marinara sauce stayed with me (figuratively speaking), so when I got back to the east coast I thought I would experiment with a marinara sauce using a combination of her recipe and one of Lidia Bastianich's.

There are some similarities between Lidia's recipe and my friend Donna's. They both call for extra-virgin olive oil, garlic (lots of garlic), fresh basil and salt. Lidia recommends using San Marzano whole plum tomatoes and my friend uses San Marzano crushed tomatoes. Lidia's marinara is seasoned with some hot red pepper flakes and salt for additional seasoning and my friend's is seasoned with some sugar and Kosher salt.  In my version I went with the San Marzano crushed tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, fresh basil, some Aleppo red pepper flakes, Kosher salt, and sugar.  I decided to double Lidia's Salsa Marinara recipe proportions with my adaptations so I would have enough to freeze for use another day.

I used almost a half cup of extra-virgin olive oil following the proportions in Lidia's recipe but would definitely back this down to 1/4 to 1/3 cup next time. Not that I was disappointed in the outcome, I just think the ratio would be better.  Once the oil is heated, the crushed and chopped garlic is added to the heavy saucepan and cooked until just golden. The aroma of garlic cooking is intoxicating.

Two 28 ounce cans of San Marzano crushed tomatoes were then added.  The tomatoes are brought to a boil, seasoned lightly with Kosher salt, Aleppo red pepper flakes and sugar, and then simmered for approximately 20 minutes until the sauce further thickens.

Fresh basil is cut into slivers and added to the sauce about five minutes before the sauce is finished. I like stacking the basil leaves on top of one another and then cutting into thin slivers. For a more rustic look, you can tear the basil into small pieces as is recommended by Lidia.

Marinara sauce served over pasta is a perfect first course or as a meal itself. I could not find the miniature gnocchi anywhere here, so I used a smaller tortellini, one filled with sun-dried tomatoes.

I did top the tortellini and marinara with goat cheese with great results. There is something about taste of the tart creamy goat cheese combined with the taste of the rich marinara sauce that turns the pasta dish into food that was to be made for the Gods (or Emperors).

Maybe the next time I head back to the midwest, Donna and I can have a marinara throwdown (currently the throw down score is 2 to 0, in my favor). While it might be her turn to win, I do think this sauce is worthy of the competition.  For record, I am throwing down the gauntlet.

Recipe
Salsa Marinara aka Marinara Sauce (recipe inspired by Lidia Bastianich and my best friend Donna)

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
14-16 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped
2 cans of San Marzano crushed tomatoes (28 ounce size)
2 to 3 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Kosher salt (or more to your liking)
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo red pepper
12-16 fresh basil leaves, sliced into slivers
Pasta and goat cheese

Directions
1. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a heavy deep saucepan.  Add garlic and cook until lightly browned.
2. Add crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat, add salt, Aleppo red papper flakes and sugar and simmer until slightly thickened.  Approximately 20 minutes.
4. Add slivered basil to sauce about 5 minutes before the sauce is finished.
5. Serve over your favorite pasta.
6. Optional:  Consider topping pasta with goat cheese.

Last weekend was spent planting the window boxes, containers filled with more herbs and adding some herbs to the garden beds. Every year I have the same annual routines and angst about what to plant in the window boxes. Will the flowers be all white or all purple?  (It was purple this year.) Will I dare mix colors? (The answer to that is still no, but I keep asking myself the question.) Will I buy fully grown plants for instant color or will I buy younger plants? (This year I bought a combination of both so as to at least get some instant gratification from all of work involved in planting.)  Will I be faithful to watering the window boxes all summer long? (Time will tell, but this year I am bound and determined to have the most amazing window boxes ever!)

Now that the flowers and herbs are all planted I know the next project will be mulching around the hydrangeas and in the perennial and herb garden beds. Last year that involved two twelve hour days of pulling weeds and laying four yards of mulch using a vintage wheelbarrow that I swear weighed at least twenty-five pounds before any mulch was shoveled into it. Going into the project I didn't realize just how exhausting it would be and given a choice, I may have rather run a marathon without any training. So I am thinking it would be a great idea of having a mulching party. But I seriously doubt that would be an invitation anyone would enjoy receiving even with a promise of great beverages and food.  Guess I need to go to plan B for getting the mulching done. And that plan would involve just me. Oh well, I am still up for the challenge.