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I always assumed marinara sauce was some mystical creation that I couldn’t make.  Than one day I saw it on a cooking show and was shocked by how easy it is.  I make a big batch, pour it into Ziploc bags, and lay them flat to freeze.  Then when I need some I can just thaw out as many bags and rejoice! This makes about 9 cups.

Ingredients

• Splash of Olive Oil
• 3 28-oz cans of crushed tomatoes (I like San Marzano and Muir Glenn, but your favorite should work)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tsp oregano
• 8 cloves garlic crushed¹ (we LOVE garlic)
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil¹
• Salt & Pepper to taste

1. While we use a lot of garlic in our house, we don’t always use enough basil to justify keeping fresh on hand. We’ve found frozen crushed garlic and basil that are excellent!  Trader Joe’s as well as several of our grocery stores carry it.  

Preparation

1. In large pot heat up the olive oil on medium.
2. Add garlic to oil and saute until it smells so good you can’t stand it.
3. Add in everything except the basil.
4. Mix, and lower heat to low.
5. Cover, and let simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring once in awhile.
6. Remove from heat, optionally pull out the bay leaves, and add basil.