Rhu's Marinara Sauce - Cheryl Style
Originally a Cooking Light recipe, I altered it until it suited my tastes. I love the addition of sun-dried tomatoes and extra wine...delicioso!
Originally a Cooking Light recipe, I altered it until it suited my tastes. I love the addition of sun-dried tomatoes and extra wine...delicioso!
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 cup diced peppers
- 6 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 cup dry red wine
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 8 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tblspoons fresh oregano
- 1 tblspoons fresh basil
- 5 cans diced tomatoes 14 oz can organic
- 2 can tomato paste (6-ounce), organic
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- Carbohydrate 27.9989568136218 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.08144555611251 g
- Fiber 4.2580785613204 g
- Protein 4.08710029446023 g
- Saturated Fat 0.175090127145544 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (259g)
- Sodium 123.080226881077 mg
- Sugar 23.7408782523014 g
- Trans Fat 0.21230266421565 g
- Calories 167 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until tender.
- Add remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer.
- Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil act as the primary flavor engine in this sauce, delivering concentrated glutamates that standard canned varieties lack. Draining them slightly before chopping prevents excess surface oil from breaking the emulsion when you sweat the aromatics. Always chop these tomatoes finely so they integrate smoothly into the final texture rather than remaining as distinct, chewy pieces.
Dry red wine provides the necessary acidity to balance the sweetness from eight tablespoons of sugar and the natural sugars in the canned tomatoes. Allowing the alcohol to cook off fully during the initial simmer prevents a harsh, astringent bite in the finished sauce. Substitute a dry white wine only if you prefer a brighter, more citrus-forward final profile.
Fresh herbs like basil and oregano introduce volatile aromatic compounds that degrade under prolonged heat. Stirring these herbs in along with the tomatoes ensures their essential oils impart maximum fragrance without turning muddy during the half-hour reduction. Dried herbs demand earlier addition to hydrate properly, but fresh variants belong closer to the simmer stage.
Visual cues dictate doneness here since temperature is secondary in a vegetable reduction. Look for the liquid to thicken noticeably, coating the back of a spoon with a glossy sheen and reducing by roughly twenty-five percent. Proper simmering concentrates the tomatoes without scorching the bottom of the Dutch oven.
