Conversation Class 9

By Nate Feldman

How to make homemade marinara sauce: 

My favorite dish to make when I am in a hurry and can't think of anything else to make is homemade marinara sauce, or spaghetti sauce.  First, make sure you have some fresh tomatoes.  Chop the tomatoes into tiny pieces.  Then, put some olive oil into a sauce pan and begin sauteeing the tomatoes.  You can begin adding other ingredients, such as salt, pepper, and garlic and stir it around with the tomatoes.  You can also slice some onions and peppers if you want to add them to the mixture.  Once the tomatoes soften, you can add tomato paste.  Put the stove on high heat and wait for the sauce to begin to bubble.  Once it does that, you can begin to simmer it for a while.  Add some basil or oregano to add flavor.  You can also put in some parmesan cheese.  If you want, you can add a little jarred tomato sauce from the store (I personally prefer Rao's) to your sauce to enhance the flavor a bit.  Then, let it simmer for a while until you think it is ready.  Enjoy!  

Key words for pronunciation: 

*hurry                     *mixture 

*marinara               *parmesan 

*spaghetti                *sauteeing 

*tomatoes                 *soften

*paste                        *bubble 

*simmer                    *basil

*oregano                   *jarred 

*sauce                        *ingredients 

*pieces 

For discussion:

*What kind of sauces do you like to eat with your food?  What food do you like to eat them with?

*A lot of people add herbs, such as oregano and basil to their food.  Are there any spices or herbs you like to use with your food?  

*Do you like to add parmesan cheese to food?  Have you eaten eggplant, chicken, veal, or shrimp parmesan?

*When are you in a hurry?

*What food do you eat tomatoes with?

*Do you like to saute food?  What food do you saute?

Extra discussion:

*Share some of your recipes with your classmates.