Really Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce & Eagle Nest Photo

You don't have to use the most expensive canned tomatoes for this sauce. I used my grocery store's Clear Value brand, which was .67 per 14 1/2 ounce can. I also used Riunite Lambrusco red wine, which was about $4 a bottle. It's really quite fruity and my favorite wine for this. It's a very good value recipe!

Really Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce

4 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (I like my sauce zippy but not deadly.)
1/2 c. red wine (not sweet)
3 (28 oz.) cans (or equivalent) diced tomatoes in juice
1 (28 oz.) can (or equivalent) tomato sauce
Italian herb blend of choice, about 1 tablespoon or to taste

Pour olive oil into cold Dutch oven or deep sauce pan. Add garlic, and turn the heat to medium. Slowly warm the garlic in the oil till the garlic softens, but don't let it brown. Remove the garlic and reserve. Now the oil is infused with all that delicious garlicky flavor. Add red pepper flakes and wine to oil and simmer for a minute, then add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (salt), but I don't think you will need any. This makes about 3 1/2 quarts of sauce. Cool, place in containers and refrigerate. This freezes well, or you can process it in a canner. Note: I like this sauce chunky, but if you want it smooth, just process it in the blender or use a hand blender. Recipe for our favorite baked spaghetti using this sauce to follow in next post!

Eagle's Nest with Two Eaglets
Lake Santeetlah, NC, May 15, 2011