Garlicky marinara sauce for grilled chicken breasts

During summer I go through a lot of charcoal. I find myself grilling more nights than not. You can make a feast out of Italian and Polish sausages grilled over hot coals and served with grilled peppers and onions. Of course, my biggest weakness is big thick steaks, grilled so they are charred on the outside and still rare in the center. That has got to be one of my ultimate dinners.

Over the weekend I grilled a bunch of split chicken breasts that were marinated in lime juice, white wine, garlic and shallots. I served that with spaghetti and this marinara sauce.

Olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped real fine

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

6 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced 

Cajun seasoning

1 tsp. basil

2 anchovy fillets, chopped

1 cup white wine

2 28 oz. cans of San Marzano tomatoes 

1 tbs. butter

Preparation

Heat a large sauce pan and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the onion and the red pepper flakes. Stir and let that gently cook until the onions have softened and are just beginning to turn golden.

Stir in the garlic and sprinkle on some cajun seasoning. Add the basil and stir. Add the chopped anchovy and stir until it starts to dissolve. Pour in the white wine and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered, until the wine is mostly evaporated.

Add the San Marzano tomatoes and break them up with a knife and fork. Bring the sauce to a boil and gently simmer it for about twenty minutes, stirring often. Turn off the heat and stir in a tablespoon of butter. Keep stirring until it is melted and dissolved into the sauce.

Serving

Serve this by placing a large, grilled split chicken breast on the plate. Place a pile of thick spaghetti next to that. Cover both with lots of this sauce. Now add some grilled broccoli and some homemade bread. Open a bottle of Spanish Rioja wine. For dessert, set out a couple of platters of sliced melons.