Sauces are a quintessential ingredient when it comes to preparing any kind of pasta. They complement the bland taste of the boiled pasta with their tanginess which hides a burst of flavor of herbs. Pasta has been relished by Italians and Europeans alike since centuries. Its ease of preparation with minimal ingredients is what makes them popular even today. Pasta is not at all an Italian cuisine in the current age. It has migrated from countries to continents and has molded itself accordingly. But the basic ingredients remain the same.
The most common type of pasta that is relished all over the world is spaghetti pasta with meatballs. The popular sauce which gives it the tangy flavor is called the marinara sauce. You don’t have to head to a restaurant or a diner every time you crave for pasta. You can replicate your own version of spaghetti pasta right from preparing the marinara sauce. Canned or bottled ready to use marinara sauces are available out there in the stores but that will just take out all the fun that is there in preparing a cuisine right from scratch.
To make a marinara sauce, you will need tomatoes. Now the authentic marinara sauce demands Italian tomatoes which you may or may not get in stores. You can still use tomatoes that are grown locally. If the pasta that you are preparing is for two persons then you will need 3 medium size tomatoes. Cut them into pieces, blend and keep them aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and add finely chopped garlic to it. Add tomato puree and simmer it while adding two parts salt and one part sugar with a hint of black pepper.
Once it starts forming bubbles, add chopped parsley and oregano and mix it in the puree. Cover the pan with a see-through lid and observe it for another two minutes. You can set the consistency of the sauce as you wish. To give your marinara sauce a thick consistency, simmer it on a low medium flame for more than a couple of minutes till you the sauce has very less water content. To keep the sauce runny, turn off the stove just when it starts to simmer. To give color and extra flavor to your sauce, you may add ketchup while it is still simmering. You may give your sauce a creamy and cheesy texture and flavor, add grated parmesan cheese to the sauce after adding all the ingredients. This ingredient will surely enhance the taste and give a cheesy twist to your otherwise conventional marinara sauce.
