Simple Italian Marinara Sauce
Delicious and easy, serve this sauce on your favorite pasta with grated Italian cheese on top!
Ingredients
- 1 28 ounce can tomato puree I use Cento
- 1 28 ounce can Italian sauce I use Dei Fratelli, can substitute other tomato sauce or use second can of tomato puree
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp butter plus additional pat of butter at end of cooking
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion chopped fine
- 2 stalks celery plus their leaves chopped fine
- 4-5 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon oregano or to taste
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning can substitute basil; use to taste
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- kosher salt to taste I usually use approx 1 teaspoon
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3-4 Tablespoons sugar or to taste
- small rind parmesan or handful of grated parmesan cheese
- garlic salt to taste, if needed
Instructions
- In a medium stockpot sprayed with cooking spray to avoid sticking on the sides, add butter and olive oil. Heat over medium heat. When butter is melted, add onion and celery and cook until almost soft, about 4 minutes. Then add garlic to pan. Cook about 1 minute.
- Add chicken broth to vegetables, then stir in oregano, Italian seasoning or basil, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. Cook together a couple of minutes until the chicken broth is reduced somewhat.
- Add canned tomatoes and sugar. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to medium low, add parmesan and cook about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 45 minutes, add pat of butter and then taste for salt. If needed, add a sprinkle of garlic salt. Enjoy over your favorite pasta. Mangia!