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I believe you would have to cook the tomatoes though as that’s the whole point of marinara and similar sauces. So canned tomatoes but simmer them for a while, maybe?
that's pretty much grumpa's recipe for a 10 minute sauce that no one believes i didn't stew the tomatoes all day and then strain them
I usually add butter and half an onion (literally cut in half, I take it out at the end). I learned that from an old NYT recipe. Amazing flavor.
saute your meat first, add as many of your spices to it as you can (the oregano, the garlics, the basil, the aniseed (only use a pinch but this is the secret ingredient. i tried subbing fennel and it'll work in a pinch, but aniseed is better). we usually use ground beef or hot italian sausage, whatever's cheap. maybe add the garlic a little later in the saute so it doesn't burn but the fats from the meat should protect it). here's where i'd do the onion and butter if i was adding them (and my wife's variation does and it's great, but it's not my version)
when the meat is browned, deglaze the pan with some red wine. (like what, a 1/4 cup? a splash? i don't know. i'm not an expert. deglaze it). once that's done, pour in your passata/tomato sauce.
add your bay leaf to the tomato, let the tomato sauce come up to a simmer. taste the sauce, adjust the spices. it's about where you want it.
your salt should come from your pasta water. about halfway through boiling your pasta there should be enough starch in the water. that helps the sauce bind to the noodles better. add 1/4 to 1/2 of the pasta water to your sauce.
when your noodle is almost al dente but not quite, add the noodle to the sauce. let it finish cooking in the tomato sauce. it will cook slower and be easier to get to the perfect al dente
i think i didn't forget anything but the measurements but you just figure out what those are with trial and error.
i like experimenting with peppers. my staple ground peppers are white, black, paprika and cayenne. i also always have red pepper flakes in every room in the house for pizzamergencies, so like which peppers we add is a mood thing. also been experimenting with using multiple types and preparations of garlic to see if i can get different depths of flavor from it.
Edit you know what I get asked how to cook this sauce often enough I really should save this somewhere
Oooh, thank you!
And I really like experimenting with peppers too! White pepper is currently my fave (can’t have chicken wings without it).
I like how white pepper disappears so we use it in our lemon butter