Marinara Sauce
This recipe was originally taught to me by my grandmother who used it mostly for baking lasagna or eggplant parmesan. Today, I make it with crushed red chile pepper for heat and a lot more garlic than she would ever have used.
Special equipment required: a food mill and a tomato press (see photos in Marinara recipe photo album)
Ingredients:
5 lbs. roma tomatoes (Fresh or canned. If using canned, make sure they are "San Marzano")
1 bunch fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley, washed and rough chopped
1 head fresh garlic (approximately 8 large cloves)
1/4 c. good quality olive oil (I use McEvoy or Bariani - both are from California)
1 tsp. crushed red chile pepper (or more depending on your taste)
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Prep all ingredients first: rough chop parsley and garlic, wash the tomatoes, have olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red chile pepper handy.
To be able to peel fresh tomatoes easily, score an "X" in the bottom of each one using a sharp paring knife.
Drop tomatoes - 6 to 8 at a time - into a pot of boiling water for approximately 20 seconds or until you notice the skins beginning to pull away from the meat of the tomatoes.
After 20 seconds, remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and drop them into an ice bath to stop them from cooking.
Either using your fingers or a small paring knife, remove skins from tomatoes.
Place all peeled tomatoes in a pile near your tomato press and begin processing in batches.
Heat olive oil in a heavy bottom, non-reactive pan (I always use enameled cast iron), then add crushed chile pepper and garlic and cook until garlic just begins to soften and become aromatic.
Add pressed tomato sauce and cook for approximately 20 minutes.
Using a ladle, put cooked tomato sauce through the food mill that has been placed over another large pan and turn the mill until all of it is processed.
Discard parsley and any other leftover matter from the top of the mill.
Bottom pan will contain your finished sauce.
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