With the blog being online for only a little bit longer than one and a half month I already neglected it for the last two weeks, how reckless! But as the kind of overworked women I am, this holiday was much needed. The destination was Corsica, to revive some summer sun and enjoy the salty sea breeze. We rented a little mobile home directly at the beach and it was beautiful! We also had a little kitchen in there so we could cook our own meals since eating out vegan in France is incredibly hard. If you have any tips on what to order there in the future I would be thankful though!
In the beginning I hoped to blog a little bit from there, but then I found myself only cooking simple and hardly impressing meals, like quick burritos, curry or pasta with tomato sauce. Christian and I talked about the latter and both agreed on how little we both used to like it. As a kid I remember it as a thin and crude liquid, that wouldn’t stick to the pasta or the taste buds. It’s only a few years back (thanks to an ex boyfriend actually) that I realised the potential of a homecooked Marinara Sauce. If you believe in sauces with strong flavouring, this recipe will make you also believe in tomato sauce again!
The main key is to let it simmer for at least an hour. If you have a look at the pictures above you can see the difference before (left) and after (right). It needs to reduce noticeably, until thick and creamy. Also a good load of onions, but mainly garlic never hurts! Roast them in a big splash of high quality olive oil until slightly scorched for the raosting flavour. I like to use a mix of canned and fresh tomatoes and either go for oregano or basil, whatever strikes me that day. Season it with just salt and pepper, or add chilli or smoked paprika if you prefer some heat.
It’s the perfect companion for your pasta (I used spelt spaghetti), zoodles, lasagna or as your pizza base, and absolutely freezer friendly, too. I recommend you to cook up a whole pot of Marinara Sauce and freeze it in portions for your italian cravings. Sprinkle it with some Walnut Parmesan and oh the glory!
Marinara Sauce
650 g tomatoes, canned and sieved
150 g tomatoes, fresh
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoon olive oil, high quality
4 tablespoon water
8 basil leaves (or 1 tablespoon oregano instead)
1,5 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pinch of pepper
1. Finely dice the onion and garlic. Chop tomatoes into chunks. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and roast first the onion, after a few minutes add the garlic and keep roasting until the edges are slightly scorched.
3. Add first the sieved and fresh tomatoes, then the rest of the ingredients. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for about an hour, while stirring occasionally.
4. Season some more to taste. Et voilà! Simple and delicious!
Notes: As already mentioned this recipe is adapted from an ex boyfriends whose name shall not be mentioned, but credit must be given where credit is due.
i’ve never made my own marinara sauce before.. and i do admit to buying it straight from the store but you make the recipe look and sound so easy and delicious that I have to try it.
Yes it really is! And it’s so much better than anything you can buy! Let me know hot it turned out! Btw I just checked out your blog and I love it!
This is just how I make mine but I use parsley instead just because I love parsley! 😀
Def gonna make some of those curries on here!
I’ve just started to cut meat out of my diet more- not fully there yet- and your blog is one of the tastiest I’ve looked at so far
Hi Natasha, fresh herbs are just the best! It elevates any dish. And yay for reducing meat, I wish you all the best on your journey. Happy to help you with my recipes 😉 Best, Sonja