This rich marinara sauce is thick in texture and loaded with garlic. The flavours are fresh, bold and it takes such little time to prepare and countless ways to use in recipes.
I think back when I was working with an Italian woman whose mother was born in Italy and I remember asking her, what does her family do to their tomato sauces to make so good. She said, they added carrots for sweetness, and used plum tomatoes, lots of garlic and had their sauces cooking for most of the day.
Typically, a marinara sauce has only a few ingredients but fresh and lots of it. Well when I made this sauce, I added lots of garlic, organic roma tomatoes and fresh basil at the end of the cooking. This sauce has some many uses and the best part is you can make a huge batch and freeze it. Take out whenever you are needing it for a recipe, how great is that!!
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED FOR THIS DELICIOUS SAUCE
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: using a good quality olive oil is essential for a good quality delicious sauce
Onion: only a half is needed for this recipe, and when you saute it for a little longer the sweet caramelization happens to give this sauce it’s sweetness
Garlic: oh yes, and lots of it to add it rich depth flavour we all love
Tomatoes: I suggest the crushed organic plum tomatoes to shorten the cooking time, and it gives this sauce it’s thickness
Oregano: sweet herb adds flavour
Seasonings: salt draws out the flavours of the ingredients
Bay leaf: gives a minty flavour
Red pepper flakes: if you so desire for a little heat, this adds a nip to the sauce
Fresh basil: a must for this sauce, to get the bold rich flavour
HOW TO MAKE MARINARA SAUCE
Start by heating a medium-large size skillet over medium heat. Once skillet is hot, add onion and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, until the onions are transparent and starting to caramelize. Add garlic and sauté additional minute, long enough to infuse the olive and release the garlic aroma.
Add crushed organic tomatoes, oregano, sea salt, black pepper, bay leaf and pepper flakes is using to the skillet. Simmer stirring occasionally until you see the sauce starts to become thick and to avoid the sauce sticking to the bottom of the pot. After about 45 minutes of cooking, add the fresh basil.
I like to use organic produce if all possible in my cooking and the brand I buy and love is Muir Glen Organic Crushed Tomatoes when fresh local tomatoes aren’t in season. It’s the best for flavour and it has a rich thickness and freshness.
Cook the sauce for another 15 minutes. Once you notice the sauce has the thickness to your desire, (my preference is thick but not a paste) remove the bay leaf and check the flavour and adjust the seasoning at this time. The longer the sauce sits the more flavourful it gets.
MANY USES FOR MARINARA SAUCE
- ideal for all tomato base pasta dishes
- lasagna
- panzerotti
- pizza
- meatball slider/sub
- casseroles
- tomato soup
- parmigiana
- ratatouille
- calzones
- manicotti
STORING MARINARA SAUCE
Refrigerator: once the sauce is cooked and cooled down, transfer to an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. As I mentioned, the longer it sits, the more flavourful it becomes as it has a chance to enhance the richness of the ingredients added.
Freezer: store in air-tight containers or zip-lock bags for up to 6 months. I like to add about 3-4 cups per container or bag, depending what I would be using it for. But let’s be honest, who doesn’t love homemade marinara sauce added to pasta, pizza dough, or casseroles, or making a tomato soup in the middle of winter.
Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (use a good quality evoo)
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-28 oz can organic crushed tomatoes option: roma tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Once skillet is hot, add onion and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, until the onions are transparent and caramelize. Add garlic and sauté additional minute, long enough to infuse the olive and release the garlic aroma.
- Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, sea salt, black pepper, bay leaf and pepper flakes is using to the skillet. Simmer stirring occasionally until you see the sauce starts to become thick and to avoid the sauce sticking to the bottom of the pot. After about 45 minutes of cooking, add the fresh basil.
- Cook the sauce for another 15 minutes. Once you notice the sauce has the thickness to your desire, (my preference is thick but not a paste) remove the bay leaf and check the flavour and adjust the seasoning at this time.
- Enjoy this sauce with your favourite Italian dishes such as spaghetti, pizza, lasagna, bolognese, panzerotti, and most pasta dishes.
- Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze it in a seal tight container for a month.
Nutrition
I decided to add a few red pepper flakes for a bit of spice. I found the blend of flavours balanced really well. Although, if you are unable to eat spice, you can eliminate the red pepper flakes. The fresh basil brings this recipe to the next level. What is really nice about this sauce and for that matter most sauces, the longer the sauce sits the more flavourful it will become. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did! 🙂
