2 lb. fresh sun-rippened tomatoes,
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil,
4 cloves garlic, chopped,
1 sprig fresh basil,
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves,
2 bay leaves,
1 small onion, chopped,
1 teaspoon butter,
1/2 teaspoon sugar,
1 oz. red wine (optional),
salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe: Chop the tomatoes finely or liquify them in a food prosessor. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large sized saucepan. Add the chopped garlic and onion and sautee gently until light brown. If using red wine, now is the time to add it to deglaze the frying pan. Add the tomatoes to the garlic and onion after that.
Then add the oregano, chopped basil, butter, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper and stir the ingredients to mix thoroughly.
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 25 - 30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. The sauce is now ready to serve or can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for about a week. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions and toss with the marinara sauce as needed.
Tip: I find that the spaghetti marinara sauce recipe works best when you use locally grown vine-rippened field tomatoes. Alternatively you can use organic canned tomatoes.
