Marinara Magnifica

I never knew this before, but apparently the word 'marinara' means 'sailor-style'. It's odd, then, that marinara sauce contains no seafood, but a good thing for vegans! Simmer this sauce on a leisurely evening - you'll have enough for at a least a few nights' worth of dinner over your favorite pasta. You can even double the recipe and freeze extra batches.

Heat 1 and 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 3 cups chopped onion and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons raw sugar; cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally - the onions should be golden.

Add 1/4 cup dry red (organic) wine of you choice - I used a chianti - and cook for 1 minute.

Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. dried thyme, 1/4 tsp. dried marjoram, 1/4 tsp. dried basil, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper, 3 garlic cloves (crush them with a garlic press, rather than chopping, to yield the most flavor), 1 undrained (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes, 1 undrained (14-ounce) can of diced tomatoes, and 1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours - stir occasionally, and serve over pasta of your choice! 1 cup of sauce is 170 calories.

Cost:
onion $2.65
dry red wine $14.99
dried marjoram $3.99
canned crushed tomatoes $2.50
canned diced tomatoes $2.19
canned tomato paste $0.79