My family’s best marinara sauce recipe has a short list of ingredientsvery simple to make and incredible taste! This homemade sauce tastes fresh, bright and so delicious!
Our family has gone through a lot of pasta so this homemade Marinara sauce recipe just fits our favorite recipe! It tastes much easier than anything you buy in the store.
I use this marinara sauce as the basis for many recipes that inspire flavors. I use it to make spinach lasagna, grilled spaghetti and roasted ziti with spinach and artichoke (too good!).
Key Ingredients
- olive oil: I use a lot of olive oil to make this sauce delicious and has a lovely texture.
- Garlic, onion and carrots: I slice the garlic, chop the onion, and then bake the carrots for added texture.
- tomato: I use whole canned tomatoes, but you can use fresh tomatoes (see tips in the recipe). When using canned tomatoes, I first crush them with my hands before adding them to the pan.
- Sea leaves and basil: The sea leaves add depth to the sauce, and I stir the basil on the end for a fresh flavor plus the flavor of the basil island!
How to make marinara sauce
Use this homemade pickled sauce as an integral part of many dishes. Mix well with pasta or add fish and meat dishes. To make it creamy, stir in the heavy cream. For the spicy version, add extra chopped red pepper flakes. Or, for a light version, add olives or capers.
I first cooked garlic, onions and grated carrots in olive oil. Grated carrots are a wonderful secret to such a sauce. By grinding them, the carrots almost melt it into a sauce, so you get a sweet taste, but not a big carrot.
When the vegetables are soft and sweet, you can add tomatoes. I use whole canned tomatoes, but I like to crush them first. I use my hands, but the mashed potatoes work too. If you watch Italian grandma make tomato sauce, you will see the same thing.
After a while the sauce is prepared with a handful of fresh basil, which makes it light. It can then be used with your favorite pasta recipes!
Our Favorite Marinara Sauce
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I use whole canned tomatoes to make this homemade marinade sauce, but you can use fresh. If you want to use fresh tomatoes, see the tips section below the recipe. I’m very generous with the basil in this sauce. Add as much or less as possible!
Made 6 cups
You will need
1/4 cup (60 ml) super olive oil
3 cloves and garlic, sliced
Half medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated (1/2 cup)
2 (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, see tips
1 sea leaf
20 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt and fresh black pepper
direction
1Heat olive oil over medium-low temperature. Add the onion and garlic, cook occasionally and stir until tender but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
2Stir the ground carrots and a little salt. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender.
3While the vegetables are cooking, open the tomato jar and pour them and the juice into a large bowl. Crush the tomatoes with your hands or potato masher. I left it a little short.
4Add crushed tomatoes, juice and bay leaves to the pan. Stir the sauce and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a gentle low heat and cook, stirring occasionally for 20 to 30 minutes.
5Season with salt and pepper. (If the sauce looks too acidic, add a little sugar to balance the flavor.)
6Remove and discard the bay leaves, then stir the chopped basil.
7The sauce can be used immediately, or you can refrigerate it for up to 1 week or freeze it for up to 6 months.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Fresh tomatoes: Use 4 lbs (1.8 kg) of fresh tomatoes. Strip them to make them smoother. Cut a “X” at the bottom of each tomato and add it to boiling water for about 1 minute. Then it fell into the cold water. The peel should fall off easily.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Let’s assume 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Nutrition per serving
Service size
1 cup
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Calories
134
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protein
3G
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carbohydrate
12 grams
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Dietary fiber
6G
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Total sugar
8G
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Total fat
10g
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Saturated fat
1G
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cholesterol
0mg
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sodium
517mg
We are Adam and Joanne, a couple who are passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? Inspire you to enter the kitchen and cook fresh and delicious meals confidently.
