I don’t know about you, but around here we eat something with marinara sauce at least once a week. I love making this Easy Marinara Sauce, well, because it’s so easy! It also tastes amazing, better than anything I’ve had from a jar.
I love using the marinara sauce on top of pasta of course, but also smothered over chicken with a little bit of melted mozzarella cheese, on top of spaghetti squash or zucchini, or even as sauce on pizza.
I honestly can’t tell you the last time I had jarred marinara sauce. Of course jarred sauce is great when you are in a pinch, but homemade sauce is just so much more flavorful. When I make the Easy Marinara Sauce I sometimes like to double the recipe and then freeze half of it so I have it whenever I’m in the mood for some Italian food.
Making this sauce is so simple! I start by sautéing onion and garlic in a large saucepan or pot. Once the onions are softened I add in a couple tablespoons of tomato paste. For a real punch of flavor I add a couple tablespoons of sherry or wine and let it cook for another minute. I don’t know about you, but I think wine really adds something special to a sauce!
However, if you don’t like the taste of wine or don’t have any on hand you can omit it. Once the onion, garlic, tomato paste, and wine have had a chance to mingle, dump in a can of crushed tomatoes and a can of petite diced tomatoes. Give it a stir and then it’s time to add in more flavor. I add fresh parsley, fresh basil or basil paste, dried oregano, a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, and a touch of sugar to offset all the acidity from the tomatoes.
Once everything is in the pot I give it a big stir, let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes. During those the 30 minutes the sauce thickens up and the flavors from all the herbs, garlic, and onion meld together into the most heavenly marinara sauce!
The next time you need a delicious, fresh, flavorful sauce to put on top of your pasta make a batch of this Easy Marinara Sauce and see how truly wonderful homemade sauce tastes!
Easy Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup red wine (optional)
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, or basil paste (I used Gourmet Garden Basil Paste)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or pot over medium high heat add 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot add in the diced onion and saute for 3 minutes.
- Add in the minced garlic and saute another minute.
- Add in the tomato paste and wine mixing everything together for another minute.
- Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes and stir.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and stir once more.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to low.
- Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Notes
This sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for later use.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 96 Total Fat: 2g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 333mg Carbohydrates: 17g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 10g Protein: 3g
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