Like I posted below with my Italian meatball recipe, Aaron and I rarely eat pasta, but every so often we get a hankering for it. For the most part I am lazy and just open a good quality jar of sauce, but I wanted something special to go with my meatballs. So after study and comparing recipes, I've put together a good marinara sauce that goes perfectly with my Italian meatballs and is also pretty quick and easy to make.
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup wine (optional)
2 28-oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
1 14.5-oz can of diced tomatoes
1 6-oz. can of tomato paste
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
1 tsp. Italian herbs
1 tsp. dried basil (optional)
Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven and then add the onion. Fry gently until the onion begins to brown a bit. Add the garlic and fry a minute or two until very fragrant. Add the wine and simmer until it is nearly all evaporated, then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer about 30 minutes or until it reaches the thickness you like. If you are going to simmer the Italian meatballs in the sauce, you may need to add a bit of water or tomato juice, as they will absorb some of the liquid. Enjoy!