I guess many people think it takes too long to make a delicious sauce, so they opt for restaurants or reach for the jarred spaghetti sauce. Basil is one herb that just tastes bloody awful when it is dried and used in sauces, and that is what most manufacturers put in the jarred stuff. I can taste it from a mile away, so if I don’t have fresh basil at the ready, I just won’t use it as an ingredient. Period. We always grow tons of it in the summer for recipes and freeze, which actually works well, but I digress.
So, folks, I am here to tell you that you can have an AMAZING sauce in around 15 minutes. This is what I would call a lighter sauce that goes well with spaghetti and thinner noodles. As a disclaimer, this won’t replace a heartier sauce that has been thickening in a pot all day long–some things you just can not fake. However, it is a perfect sauce when you are pressed for time or you are looking for a lighter, brighter tasting sauce to accompany your meal.
I like to give this sauce an extra few minutes, so cooking time may vary. However, the ingredients are simple–garlic, olive oil, crushed red pepper, tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper. I love using QUICK crushed tomatoes in this recipe. (It’s a quick sauce, so the tomatoes should be quick, too, right?) Quick crushed tomatoes are just that, they are quickly crushed, leaving larger bits of the tomato intact and more of a natural tomato taste compared to a can of tomato sauce, or the more traditional crushed tomatoes, which are more completely crushed. As I always like the best of both worlds, I combine one can of crushed with one can of sauce, for a good balance of tomato texture and smooth sauce. 
This marinara allegro sauce is perfect on its own over some spaghetti no.5 or angel hair, or as a pasta side to a main dish. If I dont already have a batch of my sausage marinara on hand, I will make this up to have with chicken parm. The magic ingredients are the crushed red pepper and extra garlic qhich add extra flavor to compensate for the shortened cooking time. The end result is a sauce that will not weigh you down after the meal.
15 Minute Quick Marinara
Equipment
- large sauce pan
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic more, if desired
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes more for a spicier sauce
- 1 28 oz can plain tomato sauce
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 2 tbsp olive extra virgin, please
- sprig of fresh oregano and rosemary if available
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- FIll a pot with water and add some salt for your pasta. Turn on high heat and cover.
- Use a large chicken fryer pan with a heavy bottom and wide surface area to deliver fast and even heat. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the plan and place on medium heat. If you think it will take a while to dice the garlic, wait until you are done dicing it to turn the heat on.
- Line up the cloves in a column in front of you and thinly slice it crosswise, keeping your fingers curled toward your palm away from the blade. Rotate the cutting board and slice at 90 degree angle to make tiny, diced pieces. Rotate the cutting board back and continue slicing until the pieces are about the size of a children's aspirin or smaller.
- Transfer the garlic to the hot pan and stir it around. If the sizzling sound is too intense, lift the pan from the heat and turn the heat down. You do NOT want the garlic to turn brown, but only translucent. Add the crushed red pepper flakes. I usually just grab two big pinches from the can and dump into the hot pan. Stir evenly for about a minute.
- If you have the fresh oregano and rosemary, pull the leaves off and slice thinly. We only have a few plants that we keep inside, so I only use small amounts and supplement with the dried herbs. If you have enough, use all fresh herbs.
- Add both cans of the tomatoes. I love the sizzling sound the tomatoes make as they squelch the bubbling oil. Turn the heat on high to get that sauce rocking. Once it starts bubbling, you can turn the heat back to med-high and add all of the oregano, rosemary, black pepper, and salt. Let continue to cook uncovered on medium high heat as you finish the meal.
- I like to have the water boiling by now. I will add the pasta to the boiling water as the sauce continues to cook. Follow the directions on the pasta box. It usually cooks al dente in about 8-10 minutes. This is a good amount of time for the sauce to finish cooking.
- When the pasta is almost done, turn the heat off of the sauce and let sit. Drain your pasta well in a collander — nothing fancy, just let it sit in the sink for a few minutes . Pro tip: after you drain the pasta, place a small amount of cold water back in the pasta pan and then place the draining pasta in the collander back on the pan. This makes cleanup of the pan easier and any stuck pasta will be easier to remove.
- Thats it! You are done in no time. I like to serve this with a spicy tomato and herb salad. As this is a lighter sauce, some garlic bread goes nicely with it. Buon appetito!
