In an Italian-American household, one of the first things you learn to cook is marinara sauce (or gravy). I’m not sure I love you all quite enough to reveal my big pot Sunday gravy with meatballs, pork ribs and fennel sausage that cooks for hours, but this recipe for a quick and easy marinara should tide you over for now.

This sauce takes about to minutes to prepare and around 30 minutes to cook. I recommend making a good size batch, since it freezes well and makes a good meal in a hurry. I probably make about 6 different types of tomato sauce, but this is my go-to for that NY pizzeria style smooth and rich sauce.

I’m not too strict on some of the rules for this sauce, and will often add any ripe tomatoes I have on hand at the beginning of the cooking process. Some rules however, I do stand by, like not using flavored tomato product instead of adding fresh basil and garlic yourself. I’m pretty consistent with the seasoning as well, using crushed red pepper, fennel seed, dry oregano, bay leaves, salt and pepper only. There’s no need to use garlic or onion powder when you can use fresh garlic and onions. I also use half red and half yellow onions, I’m not sure it makes much of a difference, but that’s what mama taught me and it’s always been good. This isn’t technically her recipe, so I think I can get away with sharing it and not get into too much trouble. Enjoy!

This recipe makes about 3 quarts of sauce

Ingredients:

Olive oil, 2 cloves garlic (crushed and chopped), 1/2 red onion (diced), 1/2 yellow onion (diced), diced ripe tomatoes (or 1 can chopped tomato, if out of season), 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 2 large cans or bottles of tomato passata (or purée),  1 tsp. crushed red pepper, 1 tsp. fennel seed, 1 Tbsp dry oregano, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 cup fresh basil (roughly chopped), salt and pepper (to taste)

Method:

1. This is one of the most important steps in the sauce that most people get wrong. Heat some olive oil over low heat. Once hot, sweat (do not sauté), the garlic and onions for about 8-10 minutes. You want to control the heat so that the garlic and onions don’t brown at all. The onions and garlic should be soft and translucent at this point and you can add the fennel, crushed red pepper, bay leaves, salt, pepper and half the oregano.

2. Let the spices toast for about a minute before adding the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir everything together and allow to cook for another two minutes or so. This will form the flavor base for your sauce.

3. At this point, add your tomato passata (or purée) to the pot but don’t throw away the cans or bottles. The sauce will be a little thick, so fill each can or bottle half way and swirl it around to mix with any leftover tomato and add the tomato water to the sauce until the consistency is where you want it. If using for a pizza sauce, you will want to leave it with enough thickness that it can hold up on the crust.

4. Bring the sauce to a low simmer and give it a taste. Add the rest of the oregano and if needed, season with a little more salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the flavors have come together. When the sauce is done, shut the heat and stir in the fresh basil.

5. If you are not using the sauce immediately, allow it to cool completely by leaving a metal ladle in the sauce (the metal will transfer the heat from the sauce to the air) and stir frequently. Once completely cool transfer the sauce to plastic containers or jars and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.