Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce
Yields about 11 cups
I learned this trick from an Italian chef who had attended culinary school in Italy. I improved the speed of the recipe by using my pressure cooker.
1 #10 can (90 oz) San Marzano tomatoes, or the rough equivalent in smaller cans
1 medium onion, whole
6-10 cloves garlic, depending on size (more, if you like garlic a lot)
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
½ cup packed fresh flat ("Italian") parsley
1 tablespoon dry oregano
2 8-oz cans tomato paste
There is no need to chop anything. Everything is done in a blender. Just peel the onion and cut it into quarters. Peel the garlic.
Combine some of the canned tomatoes along with each of the other ingredients (not the oregano and tomato paste) in the jar of a blender, filling it about half full. Attach the lid and blend on high about 10 seconds. Pour the sauce into the pressure cooker. Continue until all the tomatoes, onions, garlic, etc. are blended.
Add the oregano and tomato paste to the pot and stir over medium-high heat until well blended. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Attach the pressure cooker lid and bring the cooker to 15psi, then reduce the heat to maintain this pressure. Cook 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the cooker to depressurize naturally.
Salt to taste, if desired.
If you like a sweeter sauce caramelize your onions in advance, chopping them and cooking in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they are reduced to about ¼ of their volume and have a rich golden brown color. This will take about twenty minutes. I prefer this to adding sugar because the caramelized onion will give the sauce a more complex flavor.
