Recipes

You start with a bottle or can of marinara sauce, and end with a chunky, homemade-style pasta sauce.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red, yellow or orange bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• A dash of black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 cups bottled or canned marinara sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine of choice, such as merlot (optional)

Preparation:

1. Add olive oil to a medium, nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add onion and bell pepper and saute until cooked (about 4 minutes).
2. Reduce heat to LOW. Stir in minced garlic and black pepper and cook about a minute more. Stir in fresh basil, marinara and wine (if desired) and simmer until the sauce is good and hot (a minute or two more). Serve with cooked pasta, chicken, fish, etc.

Yield:
servings (about 3/4 cup to 1 cup each)

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 132 calories, 3 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat, .9 g saturated fat, 3.8 g monounsaturated fat, 1.4 g polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, about 500 mg sodium (depending on the marinara sauce used). Calories from fat: 41%.

© 2007 Elaine Magee
© 2007 WebMD Inc.