marinara sauce

I don't know how real Italians make marinara sauce, but this is how I do it. You can use this on spaghetti or any other kind of pasta, in lasagna, as pizza sauce, whatever. It's the all-purpose "Italian" red sauce for me ...

- one 15-oz can of tomato sauce and one 6-oz can of tomato paste. If you actually make your own sauce (you lucky dog!), use a 2-to-1 ratio of sauce to tomato paste. The paste is what makes it thick.
- Italian seasoning mix used liberally to taste. (I do not "sprinkle." I dump it.)
- just a little bit of salt
- 2 garlic cloves crushed (or however many you like)
- occasionally I add finely chopped onion, depending on what I'm using the sauce for.

Cook in a saucepan until everything is melded together and then use and/or freeze.

Regarding the Italian seasoning ... instead of buying the stuff already mixed together, I usually just use a list of spices and dump it in as I feel like it. One of these days, I'll experiment around with it to get a good balance and make my own "Italian seasoning mix" to keep in a jar so I don't have to buy the prepped stuff. Here are the dried herbs/spices I use:

ITALIAN HERB BLEND - all quantities about even, with extra basil and half the pepper
parsley
basil
oregano
thyme
rosemary
savory
majoram
rubbed sage
black pepper