Lidias Basic Marinara Recipes

SIMPLE MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Pulse the chopped tomatoes in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, or pass through the medium blade of a food mill before you begin. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, wide nonstick skillet or saucepan and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to a minute, until it begins to smell fragrant, and add the tomatoes and their juice, the sugar, salt, and basil sprigs. Stir and turn up the heat. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until thick and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes, or longer if necessary. Remove the basil sprigs and wipe any sauce adhering to them back into the pan. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in the slivered basil.

CLASSIC MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Pour tomatoes into a large bowl and crush with your hands. Pour 1 cup water into can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. Reserve.
• In a large skillet (do not use a deep pot) over medium heat, heat the oil. When it is hot, add garlic.
• As soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. Add whole chile or red pepper flakes, oregano (if using) and salt. Stir.
• Place basil sprig, including stem, on the surface (like a flower). Let it wilt, then submerge in sauce. Simmer sauce until thickened and oil on surface is a deep orange, about 15 minutes. (If using oregano, taste sauce after 10 minutes of simmering, adding more salt and oregano as needed.) Discard basil and chile (if using).

LIDIA'S BASIC MARINARA

Steps:

• Place tomatoes and their juices in a large bowl. Using your hands, crush tomatoes, breaking them up into small pieces; set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic slices and cook until sizzling, about 1 1/2 minutes. Push garlic to one side of skillet and add red-pepper flakes; toast for 30 seconds. Stir garlic slices and continue to cook until lightly golden.
• Add tomatoes to skillet and stir to combine. Add hot water to rinse bowl containing tomatoes and add to skillet. Increase heat and stir in salt. Add basil sprigs to sauce, pressing down to completely cover.
• Bring to a boil. Cover, and immediately reduce heat to a simmer; cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking 5 minutes more. Remove basil from sauce and discard. Let sauce simmer until ready to serve with pasta.

BASIC MARINARA

Steps:

• Pour the tomatoes and their juice into a big mixing bowl.
• Using both hands, crush the tomatoes and break them up into small pieces (you don't have to mash them to bits, Ms. Bastianich likes tomatoes in 1-inch pieces).
• Pour the oil into a big skillet, scatter the garlic slices, and set over med-high heat.
• Cook for 1 1/2 minutes or so, until the slices are sizzling, then push the garlic aside to clear a dry spot to toast the red pepper flakes for 1/2 minute.
• Shake and stir the pan until the garlic slices are light gold and starting to darken.
• Immediately pour in the crushed tomatoes, and stir in with the garlic.
• Rinse out the tomato can and bowl with 1 cup of hot water, and dump this into the skillet as well.
• Increase heat; sprinkle in salt and stir.
• Push the stalk of basil into the sauce until completely covered.
• When the sauce is boiling, cover the pan, decrease the heat slightly, and cook for 10 minutes at an actively bubbling simmer.
• Uncover the pan, and cook another 5 minutes or so.
• The sauce should be only slightly reduced from the original volume, still loose and juicy.
• Before adding pasta, remove the poached basil stalk and discard.
• Keep the sauce on a low simmer until the pasta is ready.
• Prepare 1 pound pasta, drain.
• To dress the pasta with the marinara sauce, toss and cook them together, incorporating the shredded basil.
• Remove the skillet form the heat, and toss in the cheese just before serving.