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03/09/09
Simple & Easy Marinara Sauce Recipe
I have said it before on this blog, I love pasta, and I especially love pasta with a simple marinara sauce and some parmigianno cheese. That is major comfort food for me.
When I first started cooking for myself in college, one of the first “dishes” I made was tomato sauce. I tried various recipes and techniques and I remember never being thrilled with the results.
I found this recipe a year or so ago for a very simple marinara sauce by Emeril Lagasse of all people. I am not really an Emeril fan and he certainly does not qualify as an authority on anything Italian in my book. That said, I am glad I tried it, because it is an easy, super simple marinara sauce that I can use in various applications, including as a base for a more complex tomato based sauce.
Follow up:
I have adapted the recipe a bit over time and it is now a freezer staple for me.
Simple Marinara Sauce
by Sara at Imafoodblog
- 1 Tbsp. basil garlic olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes in juices
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or basil (or both)
- Saute the onions in olive oil until soft, about 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the Italian seasoning and cook for another minute.
- Add the tomato products and the parsley and/or basil. Let simmer for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
- When finished simmering, puree with immersion blender until smooth - if desired.
Pureeing at the end is optional, of course. You may be surprised to know that neither Nick nor I like fresh tomatoes. We will both eat pretty much every tomato based product under the sun, but we both hate raw tomatoes. So, I puree this sauce mainly because I do not like the texture of the chunky sauce, the tomato hunks are too tomato-ey for me. I also think that pureeing the sauce makes it more versatile. The immersion blender we use is a KitchenAid KHB300OB Hand Blender , we got it as a gift and it is awesome. If you don’t own an immersion blender, I highly recommend picking one up.
If you are looking for a simple marinara sauce, you should give this one a try. I will eventually conquer the simmer all day sauce with various meats that every Italian grandmother (and Geoff) has perfected, but until then, this sauce more than suffices for me.
Sauce beginning to simmer.
Sauce when done simmering.
Sauce after being pureed.
16 comments
It is a classic! In Belgium, we call this a home made tomato sauce. This is a basic dish in Belgium! Every one, has their own version of the classic I talian tomato sauce!
Why do you call it: Marinara sauce?
on 03/10/09 at 10:13
The Italian version of marinara sauce is traditionally a meatless tomato sauce that is generally spicier than a regular tomato sauce and includes some sort of sea food, many times anchovies.
The Americanized version of Marinara is also basically just a homemade meatless tomato sauce but it does not have to contain anything from the sea. It is also a bit spicier than a normal tomato sauce with larger amounts of garlic and other spices (basil, oregano, chili peppers).
I think many people use the terms Marinara Sauce and Tomato Sauce interchangeably these days, even though there are some subtle differences.
on 06/12/09 at 13:26
on 06/12/09 at 17:44
Hi Lindsey,
Well, 1 batch of this sauce makes about 2 quarts. For 20 people I would definitely at least double the recipe, probably triple it just to be safe. II always make more of this than I need anyway and freeze the leftovers. I
would go with more sauce is better than not enough, and this freezes nicely.
When I double this it fills up my largest dutch oven, so I hope you have a big pot!
Help!
Thanks,
Socorro
on 07/08/09 at 10:08
I have never made this with fresh tomatoes. Though I think that if you have a bunch of fresh ones, you could just chop them up and let them cook until they have broken down nicely and the flavors have blended together. Perhaps start off with a little broth or wine with the tomatoes so they have something to cook in before they begin to really release their juice. I would also definitely do at least some pureeing at the end so the texture isn't too chunky.
If you have a scale you may want to do some rough measuring. This recipe calls for 84 ounces of tomatoes, which is about 5 pounds. However, this is definitely not a science, so just use what you have and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
Hope this was helpful!
on 09/07/09 at 20:28
Not only is the sauce EXACTLY what I was wanting, there was a hidden gem for me as well--the Basil Garlic Infused Olive Oil.
I'm passing both recipes around to all my friends!!
Thanks, Sara:)
on 12/07/09 at 11:02
Sorry to hear that your cousin is sick from sauce that YOU made. Sounds more like a problem in your own kitchen than a problem with the recipe on my blog.
on 01/02/10 at 02:47
Could you suggest me a mesure for two to three servings.
I know I can refrigerate with your mesures, but still I would like if posible for two to three servings.
Thanks a Lot and a happy New Year ven though it is already the 2 nd day of January 2009. It is better late than never.
Ari
Delicious ! Delicious!
I made it for dinner and had my sons over (they were raised unfortunately on Ragu sauce because I was always afraid to try one from scratch) They kept asking me where I got the sauce from because it tasted like something from an authentic italian restaurant. I was pretty proud to say I made it (now I just have to venture out and try to make homemade ravioli and I'll be a superstar :) Thanks again.
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