Marinara Sauce is a basic kitchen staple that is incredibly easy to make! Juicy tomatoes are simmered with fresh herbs and aromatics to give you the best sauce in just minutes. Despite the few ingredients, this sauce recipe yields rich, authentic marinara flavor. The BONUS is this….It doesn’t need to simmer for hours and hours.
The sauce takes 30 minutes to make and tastes wonderful over some spaghetti, as pizza sauce or any other recipe that requires jarred pasta sauce. Once you start making this quick homemade tomato sauce, you’ll never go for store-bought Marinara sauce again!!
What is Marinara Sauce?
It is a simple tomato sauce cooked with, onions, herbs, and garlic but it makes all the difference to so many meals. It is amazing on pasta or rice, served as a dipping sauce, or perfect replacement for jarred sauces in your recipes.
The Origin of Marinara Sauce
It originated in southern Italy, with both Naples and Sicily being cited as its possible birthplace.
Tomatoes are good for you
Tomatoes are the major dietary source of the antioxidant, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. They are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K.
Spaghetti sauce vs. marinara sauce
The difference between the two is that marinara is simply tomatoes and seasonings while spaghetti sauce contains more ingredients such as meat or other vegetables.
What goes in Marinara Sauce?
- Canned tomatoes
- Onion
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Herbs
- sugar (optional)
- Seasoning
Making marinara Sauce
- In a large, pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft; about 3 minutes. To that, stir in garlic and cook until fragrant for about 1 minute more.
- Pour in tomatoes, add dry herbs, fresh basil, salt, sugar, chili flakes, black pepper and use a wooden spoon to break tomatoes into chunks.
- Cover the pot and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes on medium low heat. Stir regularly.
- Add fresh basil and check for seasoning. Cover the pot and simmer for another 2 minutes on low heat.
What is Marinara Sauce used for?
This sauce is not only amazing on pasta or rice, but can also be served as a dipping sauce, or perfect replacement for jarred sauces in your recipes.
Why Add Sugar to the Sauce?
It may sound strange, but a little sugar helps bring the flavors together in the tomato sauce. It balances out the acidity and enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. Depending on how acidic your sauce is, half a teaspoon to one teaspoon per can should be enough.
Can I add cream to marinara sauce?
Absolutely. Add about half a cup of cream just before serving to make your sauce creamier and rich. My personal favorite is to add coconut milk but you can add cream or crème fraîche.
How to store the sauce
Store your sauce, about 5-7 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Alternatively, freeze it in single serving sizes for up to a year, and just defrost in the fridge as needed!
Flavor the sauce with herbs.
Use herbs like Basil, thyme and rosemary. These herbs are fragrant and infuse a ton of fresh flavor in the sauce.
Other Tomato Based Sauces you might like:
Marinara Sauce (Homemade Tomato Sauce)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 can tomatoes
- 1 tsp mixed herbs (oregano, basil, thyme)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- 2 basil leaves <finely chopped)
Instructions
- In a large, pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft; about 3 minutes. To that, stir in garlic and cook until fragrant for about 1 minute more.
- Pour in tomatoes, add dry herbs, fresh basil, salt, sugar, chili flakes, black pepper and use a wooden spoon to break tomatoes into chunks. Cover the pot and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes on medium-low heat. Stir regularly.
- Add fresh basil and check for seasoning. Cover the pot and simmer for another 2 minutes on low heat.
Notes
- Store your marinara sauce, about 5-7 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Alternatively, freeze it in single serving sizes for up to a year, and just defrost in the fridge as needed!
If you love this sauce recipe, leave me a comment and STAR rating and share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you 🙂
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