Sun-Dry+Tomato+Sauce

**A List of Ingredients** 1.5 c Sun-dried Tomatoes 2 Tbsp Onion powder 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp Italian Seasoning //OR// 1 heaping Tbsp Pesto 2 tsp Garlic Granules //or// 1 tsp minced Garlic 1/2 c [|Date Paste] 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar Salt & Pepper to Taste

This sauce is something I've been wanting to tackle for a while -- although I have a very outdated marinara recipe somewhere hidden in the AtV archives, it was definitely time to reassess and make it better. Mister AtV eats a lot of spaghetti (the non raw kind), and when we have our meals together I sometimes will make a raw food version of whatever cooked food he's eating. Now I can enjoy a marinara that (in my opinion) tastes just as good as what's on his plate! Growing up I have fond memories of my Mom making an amazing spaghetti sauce from scratch, so I had to draw on those flavors in making my own; rich, tangy, sweet, and a hearty balance of Italian herbs. Needless to say I think my Mom would be proud, and when she comes up for a visit this summer I'll be testing it out on her! I've given this sauce the ever-important title of "Staple Recipe" because it's truly versatile, and I'm already envisioning it in many AtV recipes to come. Make this sauce leaving out the Garlic and Italian Seasonings (you can add those in later if you'd like), split the sauce up in small batches, and freeze it.
 * Important Note About This Recipe**
 * //If you've been looking for a raw condiment to take the place of tomato paste, ketchup or plain marinara sauce, look no further!//**

**__AtV Marinara Sauce__** This recipe yields roughly 2 cups of Marinara. It will keep for up to 1 month in your fridge, and 3 months in your freezer. **Step 1.** **Sun-dried Tomatoes** For this recipe you can use //oil packed// or //dry//Sun-dried Tomatoes, however if you use the oil packed kind be sure to rinse them very well! <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">1.5 c Sun-dried Tomatoes (I used the dry kind found in the bulk foods section of my grocery store) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">Soak your SD Tomatoes in warm water for at least 2 hours. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">You want your tomatoes to be really __tender!__ This helps with the pureeing portion of the recipe. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">Drain your tomatoes of the soaking water. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">You can set this water aside and use it in the next step where water the measurements are concerned if you'd like. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">**Step 2.** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">**Making your Marinara** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">//Into your Food Processor or Highspeed Blender add the following:// <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">All of your SD Tomatoes from **Step** 1. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">2 Tbsp Onion powder <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp Italian Seasoning //OR// 1 heaping Tbsp Pesto <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">2 tsp Garlic Granules //or// 1 tsp minced Garlic <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">1/2 c [|Date Paste] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">Salt & Pepper to Taste <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">Puree all of the above into a paste... <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">**__ADDING WATER:__** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">//While your food processor/blender is**on** proceed to slowly stream in:// <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">2 c Water <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">(this is where you can use some of the SD Tomato soaking liquid if you'd like) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">...and you're all done! <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">But wait! <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 21px; text-align: center;">I think we need some Ground Crimini-meat to make this sauce perfect for spaghetti...