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I have finally understood that the sequence in which you add your ingredients to the pot is just as important as type of ingredients. You will find that my recipe is similar to most, but the timing of each addition will make a huge difference in the quality of flavor. This is not a sauce that cooks all day; it's fresh and easily tailored adding browned sausage, ground beef, ground turkey or left over cubed meatloaf. Adding clams or mussels at the end is also a nice change up to the usual marinara.

I start with a good olive oil, about 2 tablespoons. I toss in a minced medium onion and sweat it with a teaspoon of sea salt. This needs to saute on a medium heat so you don't scorch the onion. When the onion pieces start looking translucent, then it's time to add the herbs. By adding the herbs to the hot oil, you release their own oils more completely than tossing it into a wet tomato sauce.

This is the first key timing of ingredients. I add ground pepper, 1 or 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon of dried thyme. Make sure to give the oregano and thyme extra help in releasing their oils by rubbing them between the palms of your hands before dropping them into the pot. Break the bay leaves in half. Stir into the onion and oil mixture and smell the herbs release their fragrance!

The next step is to add the 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes. Before tossing the can, rinse out the can with about a half-cup of red wine. To add more depth to the sauce, stir in two tablespoons of tomato paste. You may need to add a bit more water if the sauce is too thick. Stir this all together and reduce the heat to a low medium.

Since the recipe calls for crushed tomatoes and not canned sauce, it is a good idea to add a teaspoon of sugar. This cuts the acidity of the tomatoes. Let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes.

Right about now you are probably thinking I forgot some key ingredients. Remember, it's all about when you add your ingredients! If I had added my fresh garlic at the first stage with hot oil and dried herbs, it is easily scorched and the flavor would be on the bitter side.

After your sauce has simmered, it's time to add the fresh herbs: parsley, basil and garlic. This is actually where I will insist on fresh, not dried or granulated. I like to add 2 or 3 cloves of fresh garlic by way of garlic press. No need to peel the cloves, a good press will pop them out of their skins and release the pulp and juice into your marinara sauce.

You'll need about one tablespoon of fresh basil and parsley. Just strip the leaves off the stems-they can be a bit tough. Roll the leaves into a snug cigar-like shape and slice through in thin strips. Drop these into the sauce, stir in and let simmer another 10 minutes. Before serving, always taste your batch of sauce to see if it needs more salt and ground pepper.

Remember that half the battle for a good recipe is adding your ingredients at the right time!

~Ingredient list~
Olive oil
Medium onion
Sea salt
Oregano
Thyme
Bay leaves
Ground pepper
28 oz crushed tomatoes
Red wine (drinkable-not cooking wine!)
Tomato paste
Sugar
Garlic cloves
Parsley (fresh, flat leaf)
Basil (fresh)

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