Marinara Sauce or 'Red Sauce'

MARINARA  (ma ree na' ra) sauce is the cornerstone of every pasta dish.  Every Italian family has its own version, and everyone thinks their family has the best one.  My Grandma Delfina would make hers every Sunday morning, right after she walked home from early Mass.  What a memory; waking up to the aroma of her sauce wafting through the cozy, well-kept house on 9th Street.  Baci Cari a te, Nonna.
Zia ('Aunt') Elia generously shared with me how she makes her sauce, and here is her recipe.  Though I love remembering my grandma and her sauce, I never got to watch her make it-she got up too early.  :)

Ingredients-Recipe will make 8 servings-enough for a nice Sunday dinner for 4-6 people
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 28 oz can Dei Fratelli Crushed tomatoes (or organic)
1 10 oz can Dei Fratelli Sauce (or organic)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon basil
pinch of crushed red peppers (optional)
2 teaspoons sugar
salt and pepper to taste ( I used 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper)

Using the chop-o-matic tool (see photo-thanks for the great gift, Em), dice/chop onion very fine. 'So no one knows it's there', says Zia Elia.

Heat the two tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy stock pot.  Add finely diced onion, and season with half of the salt and pepper.  Cook onions until soft, but DO NOT BROWN.  Add garlic, and cook for one minute or less.  Again, DO NOT BROWN.  Garlic will quickly turn bitter if it's overcooked.

Add full can of tomatoes and full can of sauce.  Fill the empty 10 oz can of sauce up half way with tap water.  Swish to get all remaining sauce out of can.  Pour this into empty can  of crushed tomatoes.  Swish to get all of these tomatoes out.  Pour this liquid into stock pot.

Sprinkle in parsley, oregano, basil, and crushed red pepper.  Adjust heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the two teaspoons of sugar, and simmer for one more hour, or up to two more hours, lowering heat if necessary.  Serve over your favorite pasta.

Marinara Sauce PRINTABLE recipe