As I am writing this I am huffing and puffing, trying to keep up with my eight year old nephew! Hold on, let me just catch my breath!
Let me tell you the entire zoo needs to recover from this nephew weekend. Baby Nephew, who isn't very baby anymore, is leaving for Italy next week with his Nona and we are so jealous...I mean excited for him.
Baby Nephew has been practicing his Italian; Mi scusi, dov'è il bagno? and Un cono con due gusti, per favore. Now that he knows how to ask where the bathroom is and to specify that he wants two scoops of gelato I think it only makes sense to prep him for the world of marinara!!! Since he is Italian this should come as second nature to him. But, let me tell you making marinara from scratch is by far the easiest thing to make. In the amount of time it takes to boil water for pasta and open the marinara jar you could have made a crowd pleasing, "Ooooo" provoking homemade marinara sauce! Plus, it's uber therapeutic stirring that sauce until its fragrant and has a moment of messiness that is perfect for little boy hands.
This batch of marinara makes about 1 1/2 cups of sauce that can be used for ANYTHING!! Gnocchi, pizza, dipping, come on...Spaghetti! Tonight we decided to smother veggie and turkey meatballs for Ciao Bella Italiano Submarines!!! Perfect for your Caveman or your little Nephew Caveman.
Serves 6 (hungry nephews)
Ingredients for HERBIVORES:
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced (Come on you should know me by now, I don't really even count my garlic. I just stop when the house gets nice and stinky)
2 lbs of fresh roma tomatoes or 1 (28 oz) can of peeled tomatoes. (This is the most important part, this is the essence of your marinara. Let me tell you fresh tomatoes are the way to go but, if you are in the middle of winter I'll forgive you for buying canned. Just be sure you buy a good quality brand that you trust. Personally, I am obsessed with San Marzano tomatoes, come on their from Italy!)
A daring pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons of coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1 large sprig of fresh basil
Hints:
Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat
Add sliced garlic to olive oil and simmer til fragrant and golden
Let's get messy - In a large bowl, crush your tomatoes and keep all their juices
Add and combine tomatoes and spices to the garlicky sauce pan
Place the sprig of basil on top of the sauce and scoop sauce on top of the basil.
This is the painful part - Let simmer for 15 minutes - Do as I do and sneak tastes through out this whole simmer time!!!
Smoother anything in sight with this stuff!!!!