by Rebecca Romash, TEP Dietetic Intern
When I hit my early twenties I began to peak an interest into the world of cooking. One of the first items I wanted to prepare was my own marinara sauce. I come from a family of Italians and have fond memories of celebratory meals being centered around signature Italian dishes. I can picture the very pot my father uses when he cooks his own marinara sauce. When that pot would be sitting on our stove growing up I was so excited to prop open the lid and see what his next creation was and sneak a taste.
The essential ingredient for marinara sauce is tomato. Aside from tasting delicious, tomatoes contain the phytonutrient, lycopene. Lycopene has antioxidant properties. Tomatoes are also a good source of vitamins A and C, both well known antioxidants.
Below you will find a simple and fast recipe for marinara sauce that is my own signature dish created out of my own kitchen.
Ingredients:
- 10 Roma Tomatoes
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 yellow onion small
- 1 tbsp. oregano (dried or fresh)
- 1 tbsp. basil (dried or fresh)
- salt and pepper according to taste preference
Instructions:
1. Dice the tomatoes, garlic and onion and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a medium to large size pot.
3. Sautee the diced garlic and onion until they appear lightly browned.
4. Add the diced tomatoes and bring contents to a simmer.
5. Add the oregano, basil and salt/pepper and stir the sauce well.
6. Cover pot with lid and allow sauce to sit for 30 minutes and simmer.
