Authentic Neapolitan Marinara Sauce
Marinara sauce originally comes from Naples, Italy, the birthplace of my father. The name refers to the sailors of the bay of Naples (Marinai) who had to make a sauce using only ingredients stored easily on board their small fishing boats, i.e., tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. Neapolitans use only garlic or onions in one preparation because to mix them is to cancel out the essential flavor; garlic is tangy, onions are sweet. Other ingredients are critical too. For example, using extra virgin olive oil is not recommended due to the fact that it becomes bitter the longer it is heated. It's perfect for salads and fast sautéing but when used in a cooked sauce, it forces the cook to use a sweetener, In other words onions. Or even, perish the thought, sugar. My ancestors would frown heavily if I allowed this in my Marinara. So we use only pure olive oil imported for us by Colavita from the Puglia region of Italy. San Marzano tomatoes grown in the rich volcanic ash soil around Naples-the finest and most expensive tomatoes in the world. Freshly sliced garlic, fresh-cut basil and oregano. A little salt, pepper and...you can almost hear the strains of "O Sole Mio" scudding across the bay as you twirl linguini around your fork.
Cooking Instructions
Simmer in pot or pan on low heat, stirring slowly till hot. Pour over cooked pasta
and serve. Refrigerate after opening jar. Best if used within five days of opening.
