Tomato Sauce Wonder with Bone Marrow

I do love a good tomato sauce, it is the base for so many other gorgeous recipes, let’s talk about the simply tomato sauce that you can turn into pizza sauce, add cheese and it becomes a traditional cheese and mac sauce for some, use it as the base for your spaghetti sauce, lasagna, vodka sauce, and as an absolutely phenomenal tomato soup, with or without cream.

Tomatoes can be acidic and unpleasant, often times sugar or another sweet component is added, however, in this recipe below, I use ketchup, it is one of my secret ingredients in most tomato based sauces I make.

I have loved so many Italian dishes in my life and often seen bones go into tomato sauces, when I saw Haylie Duff do it, I knew I had to create a recipe for many using this method, but adapting it to my household and preferences.

The sauce or gravy as Italians would call it, is a hit every time, I use it in many different recipes, so making a large quantity is a good thing.

If you cannot find bone marrow, ask the butcher at the counter, or, get a piece of meat with a large bone in it, you can treat it the same, and you will have gorgeous meat to use right away or for another recipe, such as ravioli.

Trust me, this will be a recipe you will learn to make without the recipe and one you will make often, more so as the cool days of Autumn are upon us. Tonight, I am using mine to make Eggplant Parmigianino and will serve it over spaghetti squash, yum, I am already looking forward to that!

Tomato Sauce Wonder with Bone Marrow

Adapted from a Haylie Duff Recipe on Real Girl's Kitchen, Gusto TV.

INGREDIENTS:

4 - 5 pieces 2-inch bone marrow (Your butcher will help you.)

4 tbsp. olive oil

2 large onions of your choice, finely diced

4 large cloves garlic, smashed and diced

1 tbsp. dried oregano

5 -6 large (680 to 796 ml) cans of tomato sauce, puree or Italian tomatoes in tomato puree

¼ c. tomato ketchup

1 tbsp. coarse salt

2 tsp. ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Set oven to 400°

Place bone marrow pieces on parchment paper in a rimmed baking sheet, cook for 35 minutes or till dark golden. 

Meanwhile, in a large stock pot on medium-high heat, add olive oil, onion and garlic. Sauté for 5-8 minutes. Add the oregano and let cook another 2 minutes. Add tomato puree and ketchup. Season with salt and pepper, (to taste). Simmer on low-medium heat till the bone marrow is done roasting, add the bone marrow pieces into the sauce. Let is simmer on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

After that time, adjust seasoning, it could be lacking salt or pepper.

Taste, yum a few times and serve.