But last night, I realized what I did have: makings of a roasted tomato pasta sauce. I took that last torpedo onion and sliced it thin, tossed that with some olive oil, then halved the tomatoes equato...

Mexican Tomato Sauce

Adapted from recipes in Southest Asian Flavors by Robert Danhi via Viet World Kitchen

Marinara derives from the Italian word for sailor, marinaro. Due to these origins I have seen many people say that marinara sauce must contain something from the sea, usually anchovies. Actually this is not the case, the origins of marinara sauce are that it is the sauce that they made in Naples for the sailors when they returned from the sea. It is very important to master making a good marinara sauce. Not only is it delicious on it's own over pasta, but as you will see by browsing this site it is a good starting point for many other recipes.

What I love about a great sauce is that it can transform an inexpensive dinner into something that looks and tastes pretty glamorous. think a lot of home cooks shy away from them, thinking that (1) they are hard to make or (2) are too expensive. My first money-saving trick is to use a sauce intended for one recipe on a cheaper cut of meat, poultry, or fish. My second trick is that I often cut the recipe in half. You don’t need a lot of sauce — just a couple of tablespoons, to enhance flavor. Here are some of my favorites sauce receipes.