Marinara Sauce - Redux

I decided to vamp a bit on my marinara sauce. I started with the basic recipe from the Eastside Cafe and worked from there. I didn't have all of the herbs, as they were sold out of oregeno at Jewel. So, I decided to go with basil and use red wine instead of water. The results worked pretty well.

The sauce was a nice deep red, like I've been shooting for, which I ascribe almost entirely to the red wine. Also, the sauce seemed smooth enough that I decided to forgo the pureeing. Channing wasn't a huge fan of the chunky sauce, but seems to like the flavor enough to let it slide. I liked the change of pace for that, but think I ultimately prefer a smoother sauce, so I will hit it with the immersion blender myself next time.

A great discovery was Dei Fratelli canned tomatoes. These guys have no added salt, wo I have the convenience of the canned product without having to worry about the reduction, like in my last go-round.

The recipe is reprinted with the kind permission of the Eastside Cafe, because Dorsey rocks.

The fancy-pants citation: Carter, Ruth, Elaine Martin & Dorsey Barger. Inside the Eastside: Recipes from the Eastside Cafe' Menu. Austin: Eastside Cafe/Blame Books 1993. p 22. Buy it here. (It's now titled Eastside’s Inside Secrets).