{recipe} Quick & Easy Marinara Sauce

This sauce is so simply - but so delicious.  You can serve it over pasta, you can substitute it for pizza sauce in a pinch, or you could even use it as dipping sauce.  It is super easy to make, takes only a few minutes, and will come to the rescue on even week night.  It is freezer friendly, so double or triple or even quadruple the recipe, and keep some in the freezer for a pinch.

 QUICK & EASY MARINARA SAUCE:
* makes 4 cups

2 tbsp olive oil (make sure you buy unaltered olive oil)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
28oz whole peeled tomatoes (I like using San Marzano tomatoes)
handful fresh basil leaves or 2 tsp basic everyday pesto
celtic sea salt & fresh ground black pepper

* I recommend using organic/grass-fed/high quality ingredients from reputable companies when feasible.

Pour the olive oil into a medium size pot, and heat over medium heat.  Add the whole peeled garlic cloves to the pot, and cook until fragrant and golden, this should take 1-2 minutes.  Toss them around in the pot to make sure they brown evenly.

In a small bowl, gently squeeze the liquid out of the tomatoes using your hands.  Add the tomatoes as well as all the liquid into the pot.  Add the fresh basil, and season with the celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot and cook for about  minutes.  Once the cooking time is complete you can use the sauce as is, or you can use a hand immersion blender (this is the one I own and love) and blend the marinara sauce until desired consistency.

Toss this marinara sauce with fresh whole wheat pasta of your choice, use in another recipe, or store in an covered container in the refrigerator for up to3 days.

Freezer friendly: This marinara sauce freezes beautifully.  I like using these silicone muffin molds to freeze individual size servings.  Once frozen, transfer the frozen marinara sauce molds into a labeled  (date and content) freezer zipper bag.  Alternatively, divide soup among freezer friendly mason jars.  Make sure to leave a little room at the top of the jar, for the marinara sauce to expand once frozen.  Using painters tape (or any other label of choice), label the jar (content and date.) Freeze for up to 3 months.