"Marinara" Sauce
Salsa Di Pomodori Della Marinara
Serves 4-6

This is my mom's recipe. She and my grandmother usually add meatballs,
bracciole and/or sausage to their marinara sauce. To this day, my family calls
tomato sauce with meat in it "gravy". We know that this isn't correct
terminology, but it's an expression that we and many other Italian families
still use. If you'd prefer a meatless sauce, by all means don't add any. This
sauce will still taste great over your favorite pasta, with freshy grated cheese
and a big scoop of ricotta cheese. We ate pasta that way every Sunday when I was
growing up.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1, 30 ounce can crushed plum tomatoes in puree
1, 30 ounce can tomato puree
2, 6 ounce cans tomato paste
2 cups water
2 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped - or 2 teaspoons dried
2 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped - or ½ teaspoon dried
2 whole carrots, peeled
2 whole bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Cooked or semi-cooked sausage, meatballs and or bracciole
Optional: ½ cup red wine

1 Dutch oven

1 pound pasta
freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
ricotta cheese

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the
onion and saute until it begins to soften. Lower heat, add the garlic and saute
about 5 minutes more.
Add the crushed and pureed tomatoes and bring to a boil.
Mix the tomato paste with the water and stir the mixture into the sauce.
Add the basil, oregano, carrots and bay leaves .
Reduce heat until sauce is at a very low simmer, add meat if using and
cook covered, 1-2 hours.
Taste to adjust seasonings and remove the carrot and bay leaf.
At this point, if you'd like a smoother sauce, remove meat and put it
aside to keep warm. Puree the sauce in a blender or use a hand blender directly
in the cooking pot.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook
until al-dente.
Drain well and return the pasta to the cooking pot. Add a ladle of the
sauce and toss to mix it through.
Serve the pasta in warmed bowls topped with hot sauce, freshly grated
Italian cheese and a spoonful of ricotta.
Serve any meat which you've cooked in the sauce as a second course with
tomato sauce, and a salad and/or vegetable.