marinara sauce

what you need:
–3 medium shallots, roughly chopped
–2 garlic cloves, minced
–1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
–1-28 oz. can of organic whole, peeled tomatoes (KewlTip: Whole peeled tomatoes break down while you stir the sauce, yielding a rich, thick tomato sauce with a really kewl texture! If you prefer your sauce to be thinner, try using a 28 oz. can of organic crushed tomatoes, instead!)
–1 cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered and divided into two 1/2 cup portions (KewlTip: Multicolored garden varieties, like yellow and orange cherry tomatoes, work really well!)
–2 tbsp of fresh oregano
–1 tbsp of torn fresh basil leaves
–1 1/4 tsp of sea salt (separated – 1/4 tsp for seasoning shallots and garlic, 1 tsp for seasoning sauce)
–3/4 tsp of ground black pepper (separated – 1/4 tsp for seasoning shallots and garlic, 1/2 tsp for seasoning sauce)

what to do:
1. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat until the oil is well-heated, begins to ripple, and shimmers.
2. Add the roughly chopped shallots into the pan, and saute in the hot oil, stirring often, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and stir, cooking for approximately 1 minute. Season shallots and garlic with 1/4 tsp each of sea salt and ground black pepper, and continue stirring. (KewlTip: The shallots and garlic should make an awesome “sizzling” sound when they hit the hot pan! They’ll soften and turn slightly brown as they cook, as well as becoming very fragrant.)
3. Add in all of the contents of 1 can of crushed tomatoes, followed by one of the 1/2 cup portions of the cherry tomatoes, the fresh oregano and torn fresh basil leaves, 1 tsp of sea salt, and 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper. Stir until ingredients are evenly combined, and allow sauce to simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes, uncovered, over medium heat. (KewlTip: While the sauce is simmering, start cooking the Turkey Meatballs! By the time the sauce has finished simmering, you’ll probably be ready to add the meatballs into the sauce and finish cooking them in the pan with the delicious flavors of this tomato sauce!)
4. When ready to add the meatballs into the sauce to finish the cooking process, add in the remaining 1/2 cup portion of the cherry tomatoes, and stir. Add in the meatballs, and simmer for 15 minutes over medium heat, or until the meatballs are cooked completely through. (KewlTip: Add the second 1/2 cup portion of the cherry tomatoes now, near the end of the cooking process, to ensure that they remain intact, and do not break down during stirring of cooking. This promises kewl texture in the sauce! If you like your tomato sauce less chunky, add this remaining 1/2 cup portion of cherry tomatoes into the mixture along with the original 1/2 cup portion added in Step 3 [see above]!).
5. Serve and enjoy this amazing tomato sauce along with the Turkey Meatballs!
(KewlTip: The Turkey Meatballs, served with this delicious tomato sauce, are great with whole-wheat pasta!)