Mark Bittman’s money-saving marinara sauce

Celebrated food writer on why it’s healthier and cheaper to make your own

Video: Make your own marinara

updated 3/11/2009 10:31:15 AM ET

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Looking for a quick way to make a nutritious meal? Well, you’re in luck. In his latest installment of “How to Make Everything TODAY,” celebrated food writer and New York Times columnist Mark Bittman shares his secrets for a great and delicious marinara sauce. Check out his recipes:

Recipe: All-purpose tomato sauce (on this page)

Best-selling cookbook author Mark Bittman is the creator and author of the popular New York Times weekly column “The Minimalist” and one of the country's best-known and most widely admired food writers. His flagship book, “How to Cook Everything” (John Wiley and Sons, 1998), is currently in its 14th printing and has, in its various formats, sold more than a million copies.

Recipe: All-purpose tomato sauce

Mark Bittman

A batch of tomato sauce is fast and easy. If you don't finish it in a few days you can freeze what's left; but I try to keep some in the fridge at all times, since it reheats well and is good on everything from steamed vegetables to simply cooked fish or chicken, and of course pasta or rice. You can also turn the tables and make the sauce the base for braised string beans, tofu, celery, or any combination: Parboil the vegetables if necessary, then finish cooking them in the sauce.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion or 2 medium onions, chopped
About 4 pounds canned whole tomatoes (two 28- or 35-ounce cans),chopped, liquid reserved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves (optional)

Preparation

Put the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Then add the tomatoes.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the mixture comes together and thickens a bit, 10 to 15 minutes. For a thinner sauce, add some or all of the reserved liquid and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes; if you want a thick sauce, save it for another use. Taste, adjust the seasonings, stir in the herbs, and keep warm. (Or let cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to several days; reheat gently before serving.)

Tips

Note: You can buy pre-chopped tomatoes, or just chop them in the cans by swirling a knife through them. See the first variation for fresh sauce.

Five flavor boosters for basic tomato sauce
Add any of these to the onions, right before stirring in the tomatoes:
Chopped black or green olives, and/or capers, and/or anchovies
Red pepper flakes or a whole dried chile (fish it out later)
A couple of bay leaves (fish them out later)
1 ounce (or more) reconstituted dried porcini mushrooms
The rind from a wedge of Parmesan cheese