Chef J. – The Culinary Evangelist

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and simmer for at least 30-45 minutes, and up to several hours (see note). If the pan becomes dry or the sauce starts to feel too thick, like tomato paste, add a little liquid (water, red wine…).
3. 30 minutes before serving, add salt to taste, and the herbs, and let the flavors marry.

Note on tomatoes: You can use fresh tomatoes of any variety. I don’t recommend roma tomatoes, as they are a bit heartier and don’t break down as easily. Canned tomatoes, either crushed or diced (not tomato sauce), work well too!

Note on simmering: you can turn out a pretty decent marinara sauce in 30 minutes or so, but you’ll want to add a little sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. The longer you simmer the sauce, the more the natural sugars in the tomatoes will caramelize and reduce the acidity of the sauce, so you may not need the sugar at all. If you do decide to use some sugar, a tablespoon should be plenty, but trust your own palate above all.