Mama’s Marinara

In culinary school, I learned the term Mother Sauce, which refers to a sauce that is the base for other sauces. When I opened Rocco’s and was developing the recipes for it, my cooks and I joked that marinara was “Mama Saucer” because it is an ingredient in many other dishes, and of course it’s the mother of all sauces. It is also excellent on its own, especially with fresh pasta, which is more porous than dried pasta and therefore grabs the sauce and thickens it. I encourage you to make this in large quantities and keep it on hand in glass or plastic containers. It will keep in your refrigerator for weeks or your freezer for months. Once, when I was a kid, my mother and aunts slathered it all over my back, thinking it would cure “the itchies.” I was probably riddled with lice or poison ivy, but whatever it was, they prescribed marinara. At least the trauma of that experience made me forget about the itchies.

Cooking Methodstewing

CostInexpensive

Total Timeunder 2 hours

Kid FriendlyYes

One Pot MealYes

Dietary Considerationegg-free, gluten-free, halal, kosher, peanut free, soy free, tree nut free

Mealdinner, lunch

Moodblue

Taste and Texturegarlicky, juicy, savory

Type of Dishpasta sauce, sauces