recipe: marinara sauce II

taken from: New York Times Cooking

changes: i didn't have fresh basil, so i opted for dried oregano. otherwise made verbatim.

photo from NYT Cooking

ingredients list*:
- 1 28-oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled and slivered
- small dried whole chili, or pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 large fresh basil sprig, or 1/4 tsp dried oregano

*this will make about 3.5 cups, about enough for 1 lb of pasta.

to make:
pour tomatoes in a large bowl, and crush with your hands. pour 1 cup water into can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. reserve.

in a large skillet (not a deep pot), heat the oil over medium heat. when it is hot, add garlic. as soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. add  the whole chili or red pepper flakes, oregano (if using), and salt. stir.

place basil sprig, including stem, on the surface (if using). let it wilt, then submerge it in sauce. simmer sauce until thickened and oil on surface has turned a deep orange, about 15 minutes. (if using oregano, taste sauce after 10 minutes of simmering, and add more salt/oregano if needed). discard basil and chili, if using. 

result: i've made a ton of different red sauces and never really found "the one" - they've either been too sugary, or just... off. this was the first marinara i've made that was just right - just a very well balanced, perfectly simple good sauce. this will definitely be my keeper... as will be buying quality san marzano base sauce, which i think is a key to this recipe.