Marinara Pasta

Ingredients for 4 - 6 portions:

  • 1 pound package dried pasta; rigatoni or penne are perfect to catch the sauce

  • 1 26 oz can of canned San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes

  • 3 large cloves garlic sliced

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (optional)

  • Parmesan cheese and basil for garnish

The garlic should be just golden.

The garlic should be just golden.

Preparation:

  1. Start by getting a large pot of water ready to boil. Remember pasta loves lots of water. Don’t put the pasta in the water until the sauce has come together and is in the sauté pan simmering.

  2. Place the tomatoes in a blender with ½ teaspoon salt. Blend the tomatoes on medium quickly to puree them and leave in the blender until the garlic is ready.

  3. In a sauté pan large enough to hold the sauce and eventually all the pasta, add the olive oil and the garlic on medium high heat. Swirl the sauté pan so that the garlic is submerged in the oil. Heat the garlic and oil for 2 to 4 minutes, until it is golden. If it burns, you will have to discard the garlic and the oil, so be very careful.

  4. Remove the garlic from the heat and pour the hot oil and garlic into the blender where the tomatoes are waiting. There will be a big sizzle when the hot oil hits the tomatoes. 

  5. Put the lid on the blender and place a towel over the top before blending to protect yourself from the heat or any splatters. Blend until smooth.

  6. Add tomato puree back into the sauté pan, on medium high heat.

  7. Now is the time to put the pasta into boiling salted water. 

  8. Set the timer for two minutes less than the pasta directions indicate. if the directions say “10 minutes until al dente”, cook for 8 minutes. The last two minutes, the pasta will cook in the sauce.

  9. The sauce will be simmering while the pasta cooks and will get a little deeper in color. It will not get dark red, it will be a true tomato red.

  10. Taste and adjust for salt. Add black pepper, or red pepper if desired.

  11. While the pasta is cooking, take about ⅓ cup of the pasta water and add it to the sauce to thin it slightly.

  12. When the pasta timer sounds, remove the pasta with a spider and place into the marinara sauce.

  13. Cook the pasta with the sauce for two minutes. This will give it time to finish cooking and let the sauce fully incorporate into the pasta.

  14. Serve immediately with fresh grated parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and a little basil.

Remember, pasta waits for no one, you wait for pasta, so serve as soon as it’s ready, don’t let it sit.