Mama Mia That's A Saucy Sauce! Pantry Shelf Marinara Sauce Recipe!!

When I was a kid, coming home to a house filled with the smell of marinara sauce that had been simmering all day long over a low flame was an exciting indication that Spaghetti was on the menu.  There was possibly nothing more wonderful to my 10 year old self, than knowing that I would soon have a plate of delicious pasta set before me by my mother along with crusty bread and a salad.  My favorite childhood meal, to be sure.  As it was for many of you without a doubt.  

Today, I want to share with you a great recipe for a quick and easy, pantry shelf marinara sauce that you can make with ingredients you have on hand or, if you are planning ahead, ingredients that can easily be found in any market.  This sauce comes together quickly, simmers slowly for just about an hour and it is ready to use for whatever you like.  

This sauce is a great base for a lasagna or baked manicotti, stuffed shells or just serving over delicious pasta.  You can use this to simmer your meatballs or sausages for a great version of Sunday gravy or you can just have it on hand for lots of delicious recipes.  This is a great option for those of you who prefer not to purchase store bought sauce.  You can also use this basic marinara as a base to make your own Arrabiata, Vodka, garden or mushroom sauces. 

I have started with simple, pantry stable ingredients.  canned crushed, pureed and diced tomatoes along with tomato paste and some flavorings.  You can use what you like.  I used some sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, Italian seasoning, extra basil and red pepper flakes.  You could also add dried oregano, marjoram, rosemary, thyme whatever you like!  If you like red wine, add that too!  You be the master of your marinara!

I started my sauce by sweating and caramelizing a bit of onion as well as several cloves (the number is up to you) of fresh garlic.  This will add richness and sweetness to the sauce and the onions and garlic are going to disintegrate into the sauce and you will only have their delicious flavor.  Cooking them to the point of melting is the key.  

Simmering is another secret!  Low and slow, but not for too long.  This sauce comes together in just about an hour and is perfectly thick and rich.  It is delicious and not acidic and perfectly balanced.  You are going to love this sauce for just about anything!

Because I know people will ask, this sauce is not suitable for canning.  This is not a safety tested recipe.  Should you wish to can your own marinara sauce, I suggest you refer to the Ball Blue Book or the website for the National Center for Home Food Preservation as a guide for safety tested recipes that are safe for home canning.  I will be freezing my extra sauce for use at a later time.  This will easily keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months.

I hope you will give this kitchen basic, pantry shelf marinara sauce a try and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

Get the recipe on my website:  http://bit.ly/2cLyMc7

You can see how I made this in my YouTube video here:

Noreen's Kitchen

 Pantry Shelf

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

2 – 28 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes 2 – 28 ounce cans pureed tomatoes 2 – 28 ounce cans of crushed, seasoned tomatoes 1 – 18 ounce can tomato paste 1 large onion, chopped  6 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon dried basil 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

Step by Step Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat.  At least 8 quarts.

Add onion and garlic and sweat until they are slightly browned and very soft.  This will take anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the pot.  Stir well and simmer uncovered for an hour, stirring occasionally. 

I sometimes like to add a parmesan rind to my sauce while it simmers.  This will give a deep salty edge to your sauce and also give it amazing flavor.  This is optional, but if you can find some parmesan rinds, I highly recommend it.

When the sauce has finished and is thick and rich, you can remove it from the heat and enjoy over pasta or as a base for lasagna, stuffed shells or any other pasta bake.

You can also use this as a base for other sauces such as arrabiata, vegetable, vodka, mushroom or any other type of tomato based pasta sauce you love!

This recipe is not appropriate for canning. 

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to one week or frozen for up to three months. 

Enjoy!

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The Perfect Pantry Starts with a List

I have had so many requests to share a list of items I keep on hand at all times for cooking.  Of course those would include staples such as milk, butter, eggs, flour, sugar, salt etc.  However we enjoy a wide variety of different cuisines and I like to keep a number of different ingredients on hand so that I can make what we like at any given time.  I am one of those people who absoultely hates to run out of things.  If I am sitting in my kitchen and decide that I want to make chocolate chip muffins and then gather all my ingredients together only to find that I am out of chocolate chips, I am starting the day in a bad mood.  

Being prepared is always best.  I like to buy groceries when they are on sale and I usually stock up when the price is right.  That being said, I always look at this like a hedge against inflation as well because if I purchased chocolate chips during the holiday baking sales and I am eating them six months later then I am most likely saving money because it is very unlikely that chocolate chips are going on sale in June like they do in December.  I like to "go shopping" in my pantry and this is something I pride myself on.  Today I want to focus on a back to basics mindset of what I always have on hand to be able to make basic meals and treats on the fly.  So here is a basic list of what I like to always keep on hand.
 

Oils, Vinegars and Condiments

Oils:  sunflower oil, coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, sesame oil & toasted sesame
Vinegars: balsamic, cider, distilled white, white wine, red wine, rice
Ketchup (Simply Heinz)
Mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
Yellow mustard
Spicy brown mustard
Soy sauce
Chili paste
Hot sauce
Worcestershire
Thai sweet chili sauce
Fish sauce
Sambal
Sriracha
Sweet Relish
 

Seasonings

Kosher salt
Himalayan pink salt (used in place of table salt)
Tri peppercorn blend for my pepper grinder

Dried herbs and spices: garlic powder, onion powder, marjoram, thyme, dried basil, bay leaves, dried rosemary,  cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, thyme leaves, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, nutmeg,
 
Spice blends: several Szeged rubs for chicken, steak, fish and ribs as well as their amazing pizza seasoning,  chili powder, Montreal steak seasoning, Italian seasoning
Vanilla extract, almond extract, Fiore Di Sicilla extract
 

                   Canned Goods and Bottled Items

Canned beans: black, cannellini, chickpeas, kidney

Capers
Olives calamata and spanish
Peanut butter
Preserves or jelly
Low-sodium stock or broth
Canned tomatoes
Tomatoes, canned and paste
Organic canned mushrooms
Evaporated milk
Sweetened condensed milk
Coconut milk
Canned pumpkin
Salsa
Tuna fish
Canned salmon
Canned clams
Home canned chicken, beef and pork shoulder
Roasted red peppers
Chopped green chilies
Pickled jalapenos
Chipoltle chilies
Anchovies
Canned fruit such as peaches, pears or mandarin oranges
Bottled pasta sauce
 

Grains and Legumes

Breadcrumbs: regular, Panko
Couscous
Quinoa
Pasta: long and short cut

Egg noodles
Par-cooked rice 
long grain rice
wild rice
Rolled oats
Barley
Granola
Popcorn
Dried beans,
Split peas
lentils
pinto
black
small red
dark red kidney
lima
garbanzo
navy
 

Baking Products

Baking powder
Baking soda
Dutch process cocoa powder

Powdered sugar
Brown sugar
Cornstarch
Tapioca starch
All-purpose flour
Bread Flour
Granulated sugar
Honey
Lyle's Golden Syrup
Saf instant yeast
Dried milk powder
Instant potato flakes (for baking)
Vanilla beans
 

Refrigerator Basics

Butter
Cheese: 

sharp cheddar, 

Parmesan, 

mozzarella Deli ham
Deli sliced chicken
Deli American cheese
Muenster cheese
Large egg

Milk
Heavy cream
Buttermilk
Vanilla yogurt
Flour tortillas in soft taco and burrito size
Chopped garlic or garlic paste
Lemongrass paste
Ginger Paste
Chili Paste
Dill Pickles
Italian dressing
Grated Horseradish
Better Than Bullion, beef, chicken, vegetable and mushroom
 

Freezer Basics

Ground and whole bean coffee

Chocolate chips
Frozen fruit:

pineapple chunks, 

blueberries, 

strawberries
Frozen vegetables: 

broccoli, 

califlower, 

corn, 

green and wax beans, 

peas, 

spinach
Pierogies
Grass fed ground beef
Ground Pork
Chicken breasts
Pork tenderloin
Tilapia filets
Salmon filiets
Local shrimp
 

Long Storage Produce
Garlic
Yellow or Vidalia onions depending on the season
Potatoes, red, Yukon gold and/or russets
Dried fruit: raisins, apples, apricots, cranberries
Nuts or seeds: almonds, peanuts,  walnuts, pecans,sunflower, chia and hemp seeds
 

Don't let the list intimidate you.  These are things that I always have on hand to make a quick meal, or some bread.  This is a time saver and a security blanket for me during times when there is harsh weather like a freak snow storm or a hurricane watch.  When the kids are home from school and everyone else is scurrying around like a chicken with their head cut off trying to get what they don't have on hand, I don't have to worry about going to the store because I have everything I need to throw together a great breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert.
 
You need to pick and choose what you use the most.  Staples, like flour, sugar, salt, pepper,

eggs, butter, and milk are things everyone should have on hand.  Those things alone will help you to have a good source of protein and you can make at least six different things from those alone.  Add some cheese and you get even more.  We love Asian/Thai as well as Italian and Mexican food so we are heavy on the things we need for those flavor profiles in our pantry and kitchen.  If you like something different, you can absolutely adjust accordingly.  Everyone's "staple" list is going to vary depending on what they enjoy most. 
 
I hope this gives you some idea of what we love to keep on hand.  Also keep in mind that we make cooking videos for our YouTube channel on a nearly daily basis so while our list may be long, we have a reason for that.  This should give you a starting point if you want to get a better grasp on what to put in your pantry.
 
I hope that you enjoyed this little rundown and I hope it helps you!

Till next time, I'll see ya!