I've got a lot going on in the kitchen tonight.  First, I'll be making homemade marinara sauce.  For those of you who grew up with me, you'll be pleased to know this is my Dad's marinara recipe!  For those of you who didn't, all you need to know is this sauce is to die for.  It's so good that people have been known to eat spoonfuls of it as though it were soup.

The Main Dish
I'll be using the marinara to make marinara burgers. Tonight, I decide to skip the bun and serve my burger with a small side of pasta instead. 
The Side Dish
I'll also be serving the marinara burgers with a pea-pod, cucumber and tomato salad.  It's not your ordinary lettuce salad, but aside from its great taste, I think that's what I love most about it. 

Let's start cooking!
I start tonight's meal making frenzy with the marinara sauce. 

Homemade Marinara Sauce 
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes

What you'll need
28 ounces diced tomatoes (I prefer Saporito or Dei Fratelli)
10 ounces tomato puree
1/3 cup olive oil 
1 tablespoon butter
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions
1. Add butter to a medium saucepan. Melt over medium heat; add olive oil and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.
2. Add diced tomatoes, tomato puree, basil, sugar, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat to low.  Let simmer for at least 30 minutes. 

 *Note -- depending on the acidity of the tomatoes, you may need to add more sugar.  Be sure to taste before serving and adjust accordingly. 

Now that the marinara is finished, I can get started on the marinara burgers!

Marinara Burgers
Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

What you'll need 
1/2 pound lean ground beef or lean ground turkey 
1/3 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk 
3 scallions (green onion), diced 
1 teaspoon sage leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced
2 cups marinara sauce 
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions 
1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for the mozzarella and marinara.  Mix well. 
2. Form meat mixture into 4 thin patties and place on a side plate.

3. Place 1/4 cup mozzarella on top of 2 burger patties. 

4. Top the mozzarella with the 2 remaining patties.  Form well so that the mozzarella cheese is enclosed in the middle of the burger. 

5. Add olive oil and burgers to a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until the burgers are brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. 
6. Add marinara sauce to the pan.  Top burgers with mozzarella cheese.  Cover and let burgers simmer in sauce, while stirring sauce occasionally, until meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes. 

7. Serve over hamburger buns or you can skip the bun and serve with a side of pasta instead. 

Last but not least, here is how I make tonight's salad. 

Pea-Pod, Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Total Time: 15 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes

What you'll need
2 cups pea-pods
1/3 cucumber, diced
1 tomato, diced

For the dressing
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper

Directions
1. Cover the bottom of a small skillet with water.  Add pea-pods; cover pot with lid.  

2. Steam pea-pods over low heat for about 5 minutes or until pea-pods are tender; drain.
3. Put pea-pods in a bowl of ice water for 1 minute.  Remove and let dry. 

4. In a mixing bowl, combine pea-pods, cucumber and tomato. Gently toss.
5. In a separate bowl, combine vegetable oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper.  Mix well. 
6. Drizzle dressing over vegetables.  Toss well.  Serve and enjoy!

Got leftover marinara? No problem.
To utilize my leftover marinara I cook about 1 1/2 cups penne pasta and top it with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.  I then cover my foil pan and put it in the freezer.  I now have a great dish that I can easily toss in the oven on a night that I don't have time to cook. 

Alternatively, you can just freeze the sauce and use it at a later date.  Next week I'll be making pepperoni lasagna bowls, which also require marinara.  So you can store the leftover sauce and use it with me next week as well.