My Base For Everything Zippy Marinara Sauce Recipes

MY "BASE FOR EVERYTHING" ZIPPY MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
• Add the onions and cook for five minutes or until they become translucent.
• Add the garlic (and the red pepper flakes, if using) and cook for one minute.
• Add the canned tomatoes and stir well.
• Add the oregano, basil, sugar, peperoncino (if using), salt and pepper.
• Make sure you crumble the dried spices in your hand when you add them to release the essential oils.
• Stir well again.
• Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for one hour.
• Sauce will cook down a bit and thicken.

EASY MARINARA DIPPING SAUCE FOR THE LAZY

Steps:

• Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor or blender.
• To gently heat, pour 1/4 cup (or the desired amount) into a microwave-safe ramekin or container, and put a paper plate over it so tomato splats won't get all over the microwave. Nuke for 30 seconds on 50% power. You may have to adjust up or downward depending on microwave strength.

GARLICKY SHRIMP MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
• Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat (TIP: you can probably use the same pan as you made your manicotti in if you followed my recipe).
• Add the shrimp pieces and the garlic, and cook quickly, stirring, until the shrimp just turns pick; remove from heat.
• Stir in the parsley and season to taste with pepper; set aside.
• Divide the mozzarella in half; cut one of the halves in nine equally-sized strips and cut the other half in small cubes.
• Using a small amount of the marinara sauce, coat the bottom of as many oven-proof baking dishes as needed--manicotti expand during cooking, so don't overcrowd and also bear in mind whether you'll be eating them all at one meal or will have leftovers (see comment in description about re-heating).
• Divide the shrimp mixture equally between the 9 manicotti shells, placing it in a vertical strip on each.
• Lay one strip of mozzarella on each over the shrimp mixture.
• With the vertical strip facing you, bring the left and right sides of the crepe towards the center, folding one over the other and using your hands to make a nice compact tube.
• Place seam-side down in your baking dish and repeat with remaining.
• Top manicottis with the marinara sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cubes over all.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the marinara is bubbly.
• Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.