CLASSIC SMOOTH SPAGHETTI MARINARA
makes 4 servings · total 1h 10m · tested

A from-scratch marinara that uses an immersion blender (or Vitamix) to
achieve a perfectly smooth texture. Cold butter mounted at the end
creates a rich, glossy sauce that clings beautifully to spaghetti.

INGREDIENTS
  -- Sauce --
      794 g   crushed tomatoes (standard 28oz can)
      150 g   yellow onion (very finely diced or grated)
       45 g   unsalted butter (cold and cubed; approx 3 tbsp)
       30 g   tomato paste (approx 2 tbsp)
       30 g   canola oil
       15 g   garlic (minced; about 3-4 cloves)
       12 g   granulated sugar
        6 g   kosher salt (plus more for pasta water)
        2 g   dried oregano
        2 g   dried basil (or 5g fresh)
  -- Pasta --
      450 g   thin spaghetti (1 lb)

STEPS
  Cook Sauce
    1. Sweat Aromatics: Heat the canola oil in a heavy pot over medium-
       low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 8–10
       minutes until completely translucent. Add the garlic and cook for
       1 minute.
    2. Toast Paste: Add the tomato paste to the center. Stir and cook
       for 2–3 minutes until it darkens to a brick red color.
    3. Build & Simmer: Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Add the sugar,
       oregano, basil, and salt. Bring to a gentle bubble, turn heat to
       low, partially cover, and simmer for 30–40 minutes.
    4. Purée: Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender (or carefully
       transfer to a Vitamix) and blend the sauce until completely
       smooth and homogenous.
    5. Mount with Butter: While the sauce is hot, drop in the cold
       butter cubes. Stir constantly until fully melted and emulsified
       into a glossy sauce.
  Cook Pasta & Assemble
    1. Toss & Serve: Boil the spaghetti in heavily salted water. Drain
       (reserve a splash of pasta water) and toss the noodles directly
       in the pot with the hot sauce. Add a splash of pasta water if
       needed to adjust consistency.

EQUIPMENT
  Heavy pot, immersion blender (or Vitamix).

FOOD SAFETY
  If blending hot liquid in a Vitamix, remove the center plug and cover
  with a towel to allow steam to escape.

STORAGE
  Refrigerate leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

LICENSE
  CC BY 4.0: share and adapt freely, credit longproof and link to
  https://longproof.duckdns.org/recipes/classic-smooth-spaghetti-marinara.txt
  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/