MAKES 4 CUPS
Let’s face it: marinara is one of the most well-received sauces in the world. Everyone loves its sweet, tangy, acidic, salty goodness and how it spices up pasta, pizza, and many other dishes. Our homemade recipe was complicated at first. We blanched garden tomatoes and used fresh herbs from scratch, and the process was labor intensive. The only thing that could have made it more complicated would have been moving to Italy, buying a plot of land, and starting our own tomato and herb garden! So we sat down and figured out how to make it more accessible. The end result: a smooth, beautiful sauce that hits all the right points but can be easily prepared even if you are living a hectic life full of work, kids, and obligations.
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
5 large, ripe garden tomatoes of your choice
At least 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled, plus 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
5 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Himalayan pink salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 large stem fresh rosemary, leaves still on
½ cup diced red onion
¼ tsp. thyme
1 tsp. oregano
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2 Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in 2 cups of warm water for 1 hour.
3 While the sun-dried tomatoes soak, wash the garden tomatoes, then make a small X in the bottom of each tomato using the point of a knife. Place the garden tomatoes on a large baking sheet with the X facing up.
4 Crush 5 cloves of garlic and place over the tomatoes with the peel still around the cloves. Pour 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil over the tomatoes, then sprinkle with ½ tsp. of the salt, followed by all the pepper. Lastly, place the rosemary stem across the tops of the tomatoes.
5 Place tomatoes in the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes. The garlic peels and rosemary should burn a little to infuse the tomatoes with flavor and aromas.
6 Remove the tomatoes from the oven, peel the garlic, and discard the garlic peels and rosemary stem. Peel the skins off the tomatoes and cut off the rough ends if needed.
7 Place the peeled tomatoes and garlic in a high-powered blender and set aside without blending.
8 Heat a large frying pan and stir in the remaining 3 Tbsp. of olive oil, diced red onion, 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, thyme, and oregano. Sauté over medium-low heat until the onions and garlic are soft.
9 Drain the sun-dried tomatoes, add them to the onions, and cook for another 3–5 minutes to soften.
10 Add the sautéed vegetables to the oven-baked tomatoes in the blender, along with the fresh basil, maple syrup, and remaining salt. Blend until smooth. Adjust the salt according to taste.
