Dave Lieberman’s Simple Marinara Sauce

Image by fritish via Flickr

March is National Nutrition Month, and thanks to Del Monte, I have a great recipe to share with you for Simple Marinara Sauce. It’s my absolute favorite comfort food, a bowl of perfectly cooked thin spaghetti noodles topped with a delicious, fresh-tasting tomato sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. YUM.

Did you know?:
Studies have shown that tomatoes, which are packed with vitamins and lycopene, may help reduce heart disease risk and protect against certain types of cancers.  You might think that taking lycopene alone will help protect heart health – not true! Lycopene works best when combined with all of the nutrients and vitamins in a tomato.  In fact, canned tomatoes (such as Del Monte Stewed Tomatoes) contain more nutrients and lycopene because they are pre-cooked, which enhances their nutritional content.

Tip: add a healthy fat like olive oil to your meal to help your body absorb those nutrients.

Instead of cracking open a jar, check out this simple marinara sauce from culinary cutie Dave Lieberman – toss it on top of pasta for a nutritious and easy meal your kids will love! Happy National Nutrition Month!

Simple Marinara

Recipe courtesy of: Dave Lieberman, campaign spokesperson for Del Monte “Value without Sacrifice,” Chef and Author of The 10 Things You Need To Eat

Ingredients:
· 1/4 cup olive oil
· 4 large garlic cloves , very finely chopped
· 1 can (28 oz.) Del Monte® Stewed Tomatoes, Italian Recipes
· 1 can (8 oz.) Del Monte® Tomato Sauce
· 1 teaspoon dried oregano
· 1 teaspoon sugar
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, no longer than a minute. Add the undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, sugar, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 15 minutes longer.