Creamy Homemade Marinara

This recipe was contributed by Rachel Nielson.

Our friend, David Majeroni, taught us how to make this homemade marinara. It's his Italian family's favorite, and it's a flexible "eye-it" sort of recipe.

-Scoop out the innards of about six Roma tomatoes. (Get rid of all of the seeds and wet stuff.)

-Do the same for a large red bell pepper.

-Put these fresh veggies in a food processor or blender and puree. Add a 16 oz. can of diced or crushed tomatoes.

-Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and at least 1/4 cup of sugar. (You can add more if you want the sauce to taste extra sweet.) Mix.

-Put this tomato mixture in a skillet on the stove at a medium-high heat. Add a pinch of garlic.

-Let it simmer for about 30-45 minutes until most of the liquid has cooked out, and the color is deep red.

-When the mixture looks almost done, add a couple of tablespoons of basil (fresh or dry) and sun-dried tomatoes (optional). Simmer another couple of minutes.

-Add cream or half-and-half to your liking. The sauce should be a creamy consistency and light red in color. (You decide what tastes good.)

-Serve over penne pasta.

YUM!