Recently I purchased some fairly sweet and relatively inexpensive tomatoes in the produce aisle of my supermarket. For $1.99, I was able to nab five small goodness in a package.In the moment, I got a culinary idea so I grabbed another packet. Marinara was on my mind. It’s a simple sauce that is seasoned with herbs, garlic and other ingredients of choice.
It had been sometime since I made my own marinara sauce. Making my own has its advantages in that I’m able to control the consistency of my sauce. I like to keep it on the chunky side and add my own fresh and wholesome ingredients without the added preservatives that the store-bought version has. Not only did I wish to make my own marinara sauce, I wanted to input Jamaican white rum to take it to another level. That move provided quite a treat. It gave my sauce a slightly bold and even more succulent taste.
Ingredients:
- Fresh tomatoes (8 sm)
- Diced tomatoes (15oz) canned
- Jamaican white rum (1/3 cup)
- Onion (1/2 Large)
- Garlic (3 cloves)
- Thyme (1 tsp)
- Dried oregano(1/4 tsp)
- Dried basil (1/4 tsp)
- Fresh parsley
- Bell pepper (tbsp)
- Olive oil (3 tbsp)
- Sugar (1 tsp)
- Salt/pepper to taste
-
Jamaican Rum Marinara Sauce simmering
Method:
- In a stock pot, saute finely chopped onions and bell peppers in a drizzle of olive oil.
- Season along with salt and pepper.
- Add crushed garlic cloves.
- Add rum and stir the ingredients.
- Proceed to add fresh tomatoes, and canned diced tomatoes along with sugar. The sugar will provide a balance to the acid in the tomatoes.
- Add the dried herbs and seasonings.
- Do taste test and add additional seasonings if needed.
- Allow sauce to simmer under low to medium heat for approximately 40 minutes or until sauce gather the right consistency you are okay with.
- A few minutes before completion, add fresh chopped parsley or any herb of choice.
- Add shredded or grated parmesan cheese (or any cheese of choice) after removing pot from heat.
I served my Jamaican rum marinara sauce on a bed of whole wheat spaghetti along with a spicy serving of shrimp. I chose not to add cheese.
