Our friend Jentry gave us this recipe. I have (of course) lost the original and pieced together what I remember into this patchwork version. It’s a really quick bare-bones marinara sauce. It’s very light-textured and goes well with chicken Parmesan. We also use canned diced tomatoes, but I plan on trying it with fresh tomatoes when they’re in season.
1 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped (we use 5 or 6)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 T. basil
1 T. oregano
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 T. tomato paste
1. Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic until just tender, stirring constantly.
2. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, salt, black pepper and tomato paste. Stir until tomato paste is integrated, then stir occasionally until sauce boils.
3. Turn down heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.