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He would call to tell me that he was making spaghetti…and that was enough for me to drop everything I was doing at college and drive home (it wasn’t that far…but that’s not the point).

As a little girl, I would push a chair over to watch him make his famous sauce over the stove. He told me all his secrets to making the best marinara. And he made it smooth…just the way I liked it.  With his last stirs he would shout, “let’s kick it up a notch” and throw in some spices.

I will share two of my dad’s secrets on making  an amazing sauce with you:

1. To make the best marinara, no matter chunky or smooth, DON’T measure.  Keep your measuring cups and spoons in the drawer and rely on your taste buds.

2. Break off two big pieces of french bread and cook with someone you love.

Let’s start with a basic sauce:

olive oil

garlic

Canned Whole Tomatoes (crushed, sauce, or diced will work too)

sugar

salt and pepper

Fresh Basil (optional)

Directions: Saute over medium heat 1 clove of garlic/ 28 oz can of tomatoes in a little olive oil for 30 seconds. Crush by hand the whole tomatoes in liquid and add to a large saucepan. Note: Kids love crushing tomatoes!   Bring to a boil and simmer for at least an hour.

Now the secret begins…it’s time to add some seasoning and sugar.  Tomatoes are acidic, but the amount of acid varies from one tomato to the next.  Sugar helps to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, but there is no set amount to add.  Simply start sprinkling in some sugar (roughly about  1 tablespoon/ 28 oz can), give it a stir and then taste.  The acid of the tomatoes will taste a little tangy on your tongue.  Keep adding sugar little by little till that “tangy” taste goes away.  If you add too much sugar just add another jar of tomatoes  :)

Now it’s time to season with salt. Use the same method of adding a little and then taste till it is so good you are licking the spoon.

Add some pepper and finish with some fresh basil.

It all takes a little practice, but once mastered you will never go back to jarred sauce. Guaranteed.

Add ins:

Onions: Saute some onions in olive oil till soft and transparent.  Add your garlic. Saute and continue with Basic Sauce steps (above).

Make it Ragu: add veal or turkey and saute mushrooms, celery, carrots, a little chopped rosemary, and onion in a pan. Continue with Basic Sauce Recipe.

Make it rich: Give it a splash of heavy cream and or red wine.

Be adventurous: add in a few chopped black olives and a quill of cinnamon with your Ragu.

Make it Smooth: If you have a little one that likes it smooth, but you want to add some veggies to the sauce…just put it all through the blender (except the meat).  They will never know!  I fool people all the time

ENJOY and have fun!

Always serve with lots of pasta and bread

 

These Rosemary Pretzels from Two Peas and their Pod will be perfect for your next dinner party.  They are easy, soft, savory with just a hint of rosemary and the cheese sauce…I almost ate it right out of the pot for dinner last night.

This is what you will need:

Note: I used American instead of Cheddar cheese.  I simply prefer the creaminess of American cheese as it melts.

(Trick: Roll your dough between the palm of your hands until you have a short rope. Then grabbing one end of the coil, slowly circle it through the air like you are going to twist a towel for a towel fight…ask your son, brother, or husband if you have no idea what I am talking about.)

1. For the pretzels: combine water, sugar, yeast, and butter. Let sit for 5 minutes.

2. Add salt, flour, and rosemary to the mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

3. Coat a large bowl with oil, add the dough. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size. 1 hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring water to a boil in a large pot.

5. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope. .

To shape into pretzels, take the right side and cross over to the left. Cross right to left again and press the ends into the lower circle of the pretzel (or make other shapes).  Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water. Boil the pretzels in the water solution, 2 at a time for 30 seconds, splashing the tops with the warmed water using a spoon. Remove with a large flat slotted spatula. Place 4 pretzels on each baking sheet, brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with sea salt. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown.

6. Remove pretzels from oven and let cool on a wire baking rack.

7. To make the Rosemary Cheese Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in flour. Pour in the milk and whisk until the mixture thickens. Stir in shredded cheese, stir until cheese is melted and smooth. Stir in fresh rosemary and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with pretzels.

Enjoy!

You can find the original recipe here.