You’ve likely seen me talk/tweet about this recipe quite often, and the reason being is that it’s yummy and quick and easy to make.

I suppose if I’m going to share any Italian recipes with you it might help if I give you the base ingredient to most of them–the marinara sauce. Marinara means “no meat.”

This is the sauce I now use for Red Clam sauce, Lasagna, Spaghetti and Meatballs (or not), Chicken Penne pasta, and pretty much any Italian dish that requires a red/tomato-based sauce. Now, growing up with the British side of my family, I never learned to sauté garlic in the pot first, which is why my Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe is a tad bland. I’ve learned freshly chopped/pressed garlic does change the taste of the sauce dramatically. I’ve also tweaked a few things with this original recipe I got from a once-friend to suit my own taste. I like garlic. What can I say? I also like other spices added to the mix, like onion, marjoram, thyme, oregano, rosemary and sage (the last five being the main spices for Italian seasonings).

First . . .

MARINARA SAUCE

*Note: the minced garlic can be found in a jar at the store so you don’t have to mince a clove or two of garlic yourself. Keep it in the refrigerator. I prefer fresh garlic and it does make a difference in the sauce.

Add a splash or two of extra virgin olive oil to the pan, then add your garlic and sauté it on medium to low-medium heat. You’ll want to sauté it to a golden brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Once the garlic is ready, add the can of tomato sauce and about half a can of water. Depending on how thick or thin you like your sauce, adjust the portion of water.

Bring the sauce to a boil and stir occasionally. As the sauce boils, you’ll see a foam rising to the top.

Skim the foam off. I usually keep the tomato sauce can on the stove just for this purpose. You can dump the foam in there. Continue to boil until it no longer foams – about 15 minutes or so – and stir. After you’ve skimmed the sauce, you can add garlic powder. Allow it to simmer another 15 minutes and add other desired seasonings to taste–onion powder and Italian seasonings.

This sauce takes about an hour to cook. The beauty of this recipe is that the sauce is extremely versatile. You  can use it for any of your Italian dishes and just adjust the ingredients.

Now . . . for the clam sauce.

Red Clam Sauce

During the last 15 minutes of simmering the marinara sauce, add 1 can of minced clams, undrained, and 1 can of white clam sauce. Photos below:

Okay, I don’t have a photo of the minced clams, but you can find them near the tuna in the store. As for the white clam sauce, you can use whatever brand you like. Progresso makes it as well, but I prefer the one pictured above when I can find it. That’s a 10.5 oz. can, by the way.

Angel hair pasta . . .

Cook the noodles according to package directions (or boil them until tender for about 10 minutes). Drain the noodles (DO NOT RINSE) and return them to the pot. Pour two to three ladles of the clam sauce over the noodles and mix. Serve by scooping noodles onto plate and pouring a ladle or two of sauce over the pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired, and serve with bread.

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Why don’t we rinse the noodles? You just don’t. You coat them with the sauce instead to keep them from sticking together. This is your lesson for the day. 🙂

Piacere!

Vive bene, spesso l’amore, di risata molto!

(live well, love much, and laugh often)