by Lisa Schauer
Late summer in our area has long signaled the onslaught of tomatoes.
Plants carefully tended all growing season are now yielding their perishable fruit.
Time is of the essence when a bumper crop of tomatoes presents itself.
Blanching makes sense. Just boil tomatoes for a couple minutes, long enough to peel the skin, bag and freeze.
Use the frozen tomatoes to start a homemade marinara sauce any time of year.
Making delicious marinara sauce doesn’t have to take all day. Here’s an authentic Italian American sauce recipe that’s ready to serve in under 30 minutes.
An Italian American tradition
After World War II, one of the country’s first subdivisions was built a few miles from Norfolk Naval Base, in the bayside area of Virginia Beach.
The Aragona family were builders of Aragona Village, a working-class neighborhood.
They were Sicilians by way of New York and were rumored to have unsavory ties, although, unlike the Bonano family, that has never been confirmed.
One day, Mr. Aragona invited a couple of visitors to his opulent home to learn how he made his famous marinara sauce.
He greeted them at the door wearing a velour jogging suit, dripping in gold jewelry.
His mise en place was assembled in the kitchen. Using his big, beefy hands, Aragona began squeezing tomatoes into a pan with olive oil.
The sauce was ready in about 20 minutes, and his guests packed it up to go, savoring its simplicity and replicating it for years to come.
So, when your next hungry crowd shows up, just forget about it, and make ‘em an offer they can’t refuse.
Serve this Italian classic and everyone will be happy. Momma Mia!
Aragona Red Sauce
Large can of whole tomatoes, or a gallon bag of defrosted blanched tomatoes.
A tablespoon of olive oil
Garlic and chopped onions to taste
Small can of tomato paste
Pinch of sugar
Italian herbs to taste (oregano and basil)
Splash of red wine, if desired
Heat the olive oil, garlic and onions over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet.
Crush the tomatoes into the pan. Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve over noodles cooked al dente in salted water. Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese.
Meatballs or cooked and drained ground beef may be added to the finished sauce but is not integral to the dish.
Any leftover sauce improves overnight. Make bruschetta the next day, by re-heating and topping it on toasted bread.
