Look simple? It is. But don’t let that fool you. If you could scratch and sniff you’d be jumping up and down right now, like I was. All that’s missing from the photo is a bright piece of basil, but I hadn’t plan to write this post and had none left!

First: Did you miss yesterday’s post on corn-on-the-cob and a to-die-for salad? Wordpress sent out a weird email that I fear ended up in your spam folder, and I spent a whole bunch of time updating it with pretty photos. It’s a fairly entertaining and informative post, so click here if you missed it.

Now: Marinara. As in, the best marinara sauce ever. EVER. (And I loathe when people use all capital letters in writing, so you know I’m not kidding around here.)

Seriously, again with the tomato sauce, you ask? This is real-time cooking, my friends, and I just made my first batch of fresh tomato sauce this past weekend. (What? You’ve not made it yet? It’s a labor of love but it’s so gratifying and delicious. Check out the how-to; lots of details and photos to guide you.) This is not about that. Rather, I was SO EXCITED about this marinara I made as part of the process - note again the shouty capitals – and it’s important to share with you my unfettered joy. Why? Three reasons:

1. It was insanely, insanely good. (That should be obvious by now.)
2. It’s so easy. SO easy.
3. It’s incredibly versatile: it can be used in fresh tomato sauce as a thickener, on its own, or in other tasty dishes like penne a la vodka, eggplant parm, or pizza sauce.

Let me be even more emphatic here, if I may. Had I not already begun prepping for my chunky veggie tomato sauce – which was made from fresh-frozen veggies, by the way – I would have immediately made penne a la vodka or just threw this sauce over pasta itself for fresh, bright flavors that scream summer. The heady aroma of basil- and garlic-inflected fresh marinara was almost too much to bear, and I had to force myself to stop “tasting” it before I had none left, for any purpose.

All you need is just three steps with 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes on the stove if plain. (Penne a la vodka is super easy, too, but that’s a recipe for another day.)

1. Chop 8 (or so) roma tomates and place in food processor. (The chunks needn’t be small.)

2. Roughly process the tomatoes, then add a handful of fresh basil, several garlic cloves, and 4-6 oz tomato paste; process until incorporated.

3. Season with a touch of sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil, give another whir, and done. (On a rare occasion, a touch of honey or agave nectar might be needed for balance depending on how good your tomatoes were; totally unnecessary in this case given my farmers’ market-fresh fruits.)

Taste the love.

That is all.

Dr. P. K. Newby is a nutrition scientist and educator with expertise in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases through diet and the relations between agriculture, food production, and public health. She brings together her passions for food, cooking, science, and sustainability through her writing and videos to help people eat their way towards better health, one delectable bite at a time. If you like what you see here at The Nutrition Doctor is In the Kitchen, please subscribe to my blog from the home page, become a fan on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, check out my food porn on Pinterest, watch my cooking videos on YouTube, and peruse my recipe page for soups, salads, seafood, sweets, and more. Thank you for reading.