Homemade Marinara Sauce

I have been trying to make the perfect homemade spaghetti sauce for so long with no luck.  I never seemed to be able to get the right balance of spices and it seemed to always come out tasting too tomato-y or metallic.  Blech. 

 

Then I found this recipe on Kaitlin in the Kitchen and it changed my life!  I made this for dinner last Sunday and we all loved it so much!  Peanut even said I should put it in jars and sell it!  It was really so good and so easy!  

 

I pretty much followed the recipe exactly except that I ended up adding about a tsp of extra sugar at the end.  I strongly advise you not to leave the sugar out.  It does not make the sauce overly sweet but it is necessary for balancing the acid in the tomatoes.  

 

This sauce was so good I honestly don't see myself ever using jarred sauce again! 

Homemade Marinara Sauce

via Kaitlin in the Kitchen

 

Ingredients:

1 28 oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes

1 Cup Diced Onions

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

1 Teaspoon Dried Basil

1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley

1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar

5 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste

 

Directions:

In a pan, add 3 tablespoons of your olive oil and turn on medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add your onions and saute them for about 5-7 minutes or until they start to turn slightly translucent, then add your garlic and saute for another 3 minutes or so, making sure not to burn the garlic. Pour in your crushed tomatoes and mix with the onions and garlic. Add all of your seasonings including salt & pepper, the remaining olive oil, and the Parmesan cheese. Check for seasonings and add more depending on your taste. Lower heat to medium, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes, or even longer at a slightly lower temperature.