cheeky recipe: marinara sauce with balsamic vinegar

i've been craving a big bowl of pasta for weeks and now that i know how to make my own sauce, jarred sauce just tastes kind of meh to me. while amatriciana sauce is my usual go-to, i had to try a recipe that adds balsamic vinegar at the end! this was really easy and the flavor was bright and zesty. i will definitely make it again and am very glad to have half the batch left for next week. buon appetito!

marinara sauce with balsamic vinegar (adapted from recipe girl)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8-10 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
• two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes, with their juices (i used san marzano)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

in a large saucepan or deep skillet, warm the olive oil at low heat. add the garlic and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. stir in the basil.

pour in the tomatoes with their juices, bring the sauce to a boil, and then add the kosher salt. reduce the heat to low and simmer 45 to 50 minutes. as the sauce thickens toward the end, stir in the balsamic vinegar. remove the pan from heat.

*to store: cool the sauce to room temperature before storing. it will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and it will keep in a covered freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.