Pasta Sauce
When the pandemic started in March 2020, I really started cooking more at home. One of the dishes I set out to perfect was a good pasta sauce. After trying many different recipes, I finally created one that is easy to make, doesn’t require many ingredients, and doesn’t take hours to cook. As long as you have some fennel seed in your spice cabinet, you’ll get along just fine with this recipe.
Serves: 7-8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
from Udell’s Kitchen
Ingredients
1 white onion
3-4 cloves garlic
28oz crushed tomatoes (San Marzano)
1/2 cup water
1 bunch fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
Dice onion; mince garlic; tie basil in a large bunch with kitchen twine; crush 1 teaspoon of the fennel seed with a mortar and pestle.
Add one tablespoon oil to large pot over medium-high heat then add onions and a 1/2 teaspoon of whole fennel seed. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft, then add garlic. Let cook for 30 seconds or until aromatic.
Add the entire can of crushed tomatoes, along with 1/2 cup water, the crushed fennel seed, Italian seasoning, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir well to mix, then add the bunch of basil. Cover pot almost fully with the lid, but leave a small opening (about 1”). Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the butter to sauce, and continue to simmer on medium-low for another 10 minutes.
Uncover, take the basil out and dispose of it. Stir well to make sure the melted butter is incorporated. Remove from heat and serve!
Quick Hit
I know it may seem a little ridiculous, but trust me when I say this: Use San Marzano brand tomatoes! They consistently provide the best flavor in this sauce, I’ve tried every brand I could find and none of them touch San Marzano.