Five Minute Marinara Sauce

I've been sitting here staring at the above picture for several minutes, trying to find the right words to describe this sauce. I'm at a loss. I've made a lot of different spaghetti sauces. Fresh tomatoes, roasted, stovetop, crockpot, you name it and I've probably tried it. I've even been told that I make great spaghetti by numerous people. However, this sauce trumps them all. I kept tasting it by the spoonful last night. I was truly shocked that something so unbelievably easy could taste so delicious.

The olive oil combined with the red pepper and the lemon to take it a level I haven't seen before in my own kitchen. I am not one to wax on and on about a red sauce. If it's good, it's good, right? Well, I actually sat there eating dinner last night, a basic plate of angel hair with this sauce and I was contemplating what else I could possibly eat with this sauce.

With such simple ingredients, this is going to be a pantry staple in my house. I still have a new oven roasted tomato sauce recipe to try soon, but this is definitely a keeper as well!

Five Minute Marinara Sauce
recipe from 101 Cookbooks

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 - 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, the full amount makes a very spicy sauce
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3 medium cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped
1 28-ounce can crushed red tomatoes (not diced, not pureed, not whole, no additional seasonings at all)
zest of one lemon

Combine the olive oil, pepper flakes, salt and garlic in a cold saucepan. Stir while you heat the pan over medium high heat. Saute for 45 seconds to a minute, just until everything is fragrant. Avoid letting the garlic turn brown. Stir in the tomatoes and heat to a gentle simmer, this should only take a couple minutes.

Remove from the heat and taste the sauce. If it needs more salt, add it now. Stir in the lemon zest and taste again. Try not to eat the entire pot of sauce with a spoon.

Makes about a quart of sauce.

Click here for printable recipe