Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients:

3 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled, and seeded or 4 28-ounce cans whole

tomatoes with their juices

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

5 large cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon red chili flakes

1 tablespoon kosher salt

3 large sprigs basil

2 tablespoons red wine or red wine vinegar

A chunk of Parmesan rind

Pinch of sugar, if needed

Instructions:

1. Working in batches, in a food processor, pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with remaining tomatoes.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onion, cook until it starts to turn golden and softened, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds (don’t let it burn).  Stir in red chili flakes, let them heat for 15 seconds to release their flavor, then pour in the chopped tomatoes with their juices.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.  Add the salt, basil, Parmesan rind, and red wine and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is full-flavored and has reduced to a thick, saucy consistency, 20-40 minutes.  Taste and add the pinch of sugar only if the sauce lacks the natural sweetness of perfectly ripe, fresh tomatoes.  Remove the stems of basil and Parmesan rind.
3. At this point you can leave it chunky or use an immersion blender to the desired consistency.
4. Freeze the sauce in small portions: 1 cup (1-2 people), 2 cups (3-4 people) or 3 cups (4-6 people) servings, depending on the size of your family.  Once you thaw a portion, it will keep in your refrigerator 3-4 days.