Authentic Italian food just wouldn’t be the same without tomatoes, right? Did you know that it was not until the Spaniards brought the tomato to Italy from the New World in the 16th century that Italy even knew what a tomato was? If it wasn’t for the Spaniards, we might never have had the marvelous Marinara sauce!
It was in the area of Naples that the tomatoes became valued by cooks at sea. The name Marinara actually comes from the word marinaro – meaning “of the sea“. Marinara is known as the “sauce of the sailors”. It is easy to understand why this fruit became so popular when out at sea. Remember, there was no refrigeration on ships back then. The tomatoes had a high acid content that would act as a sort of preservative in the sauce and it was easy for the cook to prepare. It was a way to have a satisfying meal for the sailors without having to worry about meat that would spoil rapidly.
Marinara remains a popular sauce because it is quick to put together and has a lot of that good antioxidant lycopene in the tomatoes! And the nice thing is that the lycopene is still present after cooking! Good Healthy Italian food!
Marinara is actually a base sauce – from which many other authentic Italian food recipes are created. Puttanesca, Arrabiatta, and many more. You imagination is your only limitation as to what can be done with Marinara.
My favorite Marinara recipe actually comes from Disney World. I don’t remember where I originally go this recipe, but it says “Marinara – Disney World” on the card. It is so simple and so fabulous, I just have to share it with you. I have tweaked it a little for our taste, so here it is. My additions are just a bit of sugar and a little red pepper.
Dice up a large sweet onion and saute’ it in a tablespoon or two of good olive oil along with 2 cloves of crushed garlic until tender. Add 2 16-oz. cans of diced plum tomatoes and 2 16-oz. cans of crushed tomatoes. Stir in a cup of decent red wine. Now just add 2 teaspoons each of basil, oregano, parsley, white pepper, and kosher salt. Now add 1 tespoon of thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and a decent pinch of red papper flakes.
Cook lightly covered at a light simmer for 2 hours! Serve over your favorite pasta and you have some wonderful authentic Italian food!
Chef Umberto makes his favorite Marinara for you right here!
Mangia Bene!
