DIET | DETECTIVE^®

When I first began my quest to make healthier meals for my husband, I started to really pay attention to the nutritious foods he already enjoyed.  It came as no surprise that tomato sauce was a favorite food of his, as it is to many people.  Eager to get him away from the often sugar-filled grocery store variety, I started to play with natural ways to sweeten the sauce, while still appealing to his tastebuds.  The tinkering paid off, as it resulted in a Marinara recipe that's not only uber-yummy, but also an excellent "veggie fake-out".

Kitty's Red Pepper Marinara
(makes 6 servings)
Excellent when served with sweet Italian chicken sausage!

Plenty of good extra virgin olive oil
1 large vidalia or yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 large sweet red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 cup red wine (ok to sub w/ 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar)
2 large cans crushed tomatoes (or 2 boxes Pomi)
1/2 teaspoon dried pepperoncino flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

In a large soup pot, lightly salt and sautee the onion in olive oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until translucent. 
Add the red pepper and cook for 5 minutes.  Once it softens, add the garlic to the pan.  Create a hot spot in the center of your pan, and add the hot pepper flakes and oregano.  Give them a minute to cook, then stir the whole pan to incorporate.  Add a pinch of salt to the mixture, then add the wine, giving it a minute to sizzle and begin to reduce.  Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, then lower heat, and allow to simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.  With a hand immersion blender, or in a blender or food processor, puree the sauce to a smooth consistency.  (Careful - it's hot!  Do it in batches!)

Bell peppers are loaded with vitamins A&C, 2 very powerful antioxidants which fight free radicals, help eyesight, fight cholesterol, and aid in preventing arthritis.  This sauce is also chock-full of lycopene (tomatoes even more so when cooked!)  But the best part?  My husband never has any idea that he is eating something so healthy when we enjoy this meal.

I'd love to hear what YOU serve this sauce with!

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written by Mr Big, October 15, 2007

This sauce is very good with linguini and Cabernet.

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written by Jeff, October 08, 2007

That sounds delicious! Thanks!

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written by Kitty Jay, October 06, 2007

Hi Amber, that doesn't sound weird at all! Carrots are a staple in Italian cooking, and even in cla*sic French cooking as a component of a mirepoix (carrot, onion, celery).
If you have a fave sauce recipe, I'd love to hear it!

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written by Amber, October 05, 2007

In traditional Italian cooking marinara sauces are sweetened with carrots. I know that sounds weird, but just a couple of sliced carrots will sweeten up to four quarts of sauce.

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written by Ariane, October 05, 2007

I am so excited to try this sauce. Thanks Kitty!