Frank Prisinzano's Sticky Garlic Marinara
Marinara sauce is very personal. Don't like too much garlic? This recipe probably isn't for you. . but you can certainly use less. Like your sauce with more oil like Frank does? Add more! The more you make this sauce, the more you'll learn how to make it your way. If this is too much sauce, feel free to half the recipe. Otherwise, make the recipe as is, freeze some or simply have pasta again the next day. It's delicious. Frank says this is a seafood sauce base, so I highly recommend making this sauce with some shrimp, mussels or clams.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 10 to 13 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil extra virgin + more if needed
- 2 (28 oz) cans Whole San Marzano tomatoes or any whole canned plum tomatoes
- 2 to 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh parsley + some for garnish
- 3 to 4 fresh bay leaves
- kosher salt
- 1 lb. rigatoni or any pasta
- crushed red pepper flakes if desired
Instructions
- Using a large, wide pan over low heat, place all of the garlic into the pan. Using a potato masher or something that can crush the garlic, smash down your garlic cloves. You want uneven pieces and texture. After a few minutes, add your olive oil and continue to smash the garlic. Let all the garlic continue to cook until some start to brown on the edges.
- Add in the canned whole San Marzano tomatoes along with the sauce. Leave them whole. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring the sauce to a boil. At this point, you can break up and open the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, or use your potato masher and mash them up. Go for the texture and consistency you want for your sauce.
- While the sauce is boiling, using a separate burner, heat a big pot of water heavily salted with kosher salt for your pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain.
- Going back to the sauce, add in the dried oregano, fresh parsley and the bay leaves, stir together and let cook until the sauce until most of the water is gone and "it's mostly pulp and oil." Taste, and add some salt if desired. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve over, or mixed with, the cooked pasta. Garnish with some diced fresh parsley and crushed red pepper flakes if desired and enjoy!