Provence Style Marinara Bread Dip

Yield: 6 servings
Time Estimate: 65 minutes
Storage Notes: Best if consumed immediately, can be refrigerated 
Difficulty: Moderate

This homemade tomato sauce will forever change the way that you do Italian food. Perfect as an appetizer dip or even better as a pasta or pizza sauce, this sauce has character and flavor that is pure bliss. The fresh tomato and onion blend with the various herbs in Gustus Vitae's Taste of Provence to create an Italian-French wonder-flavor. The easy-to-make balsamic-butter mixture adds flavor to the bread that creates a balance of warmth and depth when dipped into the Provence-styled Marinara Bread Dip. The result? Rocambolesco. 

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Ingredients:

• 6 Tomatoes (8 cups chopped - roma tomatoes preferred)
• 1 White onion, chopped
• 5 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 Cup merlot
• 1/2 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 Tablespoons Taste of Provence seasoning (or more for more flavor)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive Oil
• 1/2 Cup fresh basil  
• 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley 
• Melted butter 
• Bread
• 1 Tsp. Balsamic Vinegar
• Parmasean as desired

Directions:

1. Add olive oil and chopped onion to pan and sauté until onion is translucent
2. Add garlic and merlot, cooking until liquid evaporates (mostly)
3. Add tomatoes and salt and pepper as needed and continue sautéing
4. Add red pepper flakes and Taste of Provence seasoning, cover and simmer on low until tomatoes are mostly (or fully) broken down
5. Add sauce to blender and add basil, blend until thoroughly mixed
6. Add back to pan and continue to simmer until flavors combine (20 minutes)
7. Add melted butter, parsley, and balsamic vinegar to container and mix well
8. Brush bread with butter mixture and utilize bread to dip in sauce
9. Add parmesan as desired
10. Enjoy!