I love a good marinara sauce! I have been making this sauce for ages and have realized that I have never posted it before. This sauce is very easy and very versatile and it’s not worth buying the ready-made sauce. Tomatoes are still abundant and cheap and I grow basil in a pot on my small balcony. Even when tomatoes are out of season, I make marinara sauce with canned tomatoes, sometimes I use pummaro or tomato paste, depending on what I have at home. Sometimes, I add grated carrots to the sauce and depending on the season I add fresh oregano as well. Sometimes I add thyme or dried basil. It is so easy to make and tastes a million times better than the store bought one. I always made a big batch to use and freeze the leftover in a Tupperware.
I use this sauce to make an easy spaghetti dish, especially during lent, serve it with meatballs, on pizzas, in calzone etc.
Homemade Marinara Sauce
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 kilo fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled and grated or 1 can (500 grams) whole tomatoes with juice and 1 pummaro tomato juice (500 grams)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 big onion, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- About 10 fresh basil leaves
- 1 sprig fresh oregano, only the leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- ½ tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper and variety of peppers
- 1 tsp boukovo (sweet pepper flakes)
- ½ tsp sugar (optional), depending on the tartness of the tomatoes
Directions:
- In a food processor add the onion, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and puree.
- In a saucepan heat the remaining olive oil and add the pureed onion and sauté for a few minutes.
- In the same food processor puree the fresh or canned tomatoes with the fresh basil and oregano leaves and add to the sautéed onion and mix.
- Season with salt and pepper and simmer, stirring often until the sauce is thick. If using fresh tomatoes, you may add some sugar if tomatoes are tart.
Tags: basil, How to.., lenten, Nistisimo, Pasta, Sauces, Tips-cooking, tomatoes
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:31 pm
hello,ivy!a very good sauce,easy to make and so good for pasta!thanks for your visits!:))
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:35 pm
It's so funny… I kept looking at your recipe and waiting for the sugar. Yup, that pinch of sugar seems necessary to me for marinara, but what do I know?
This looks delicious, Ivy!
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:04 pm
Your sauce looks beautiful! I also always have homemade marinara sauce on hand. You can use it for so many things. I could spoon it right out of the pot and eat it as is!
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Looks delicious Ivy - everyone needs a good, simple pasta sauce recipe.
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:02 am
I love a simple tomato sauce Ivy…thank you for sharing yours…looks delicious!
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:06 am
Everyone should have their own "marinara sauce"…no reason to buy any of the stuff at the supermarket. Canned tomatoes are very good these days.
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:17 am
Wow, this sounds amazing and easy to make. Now I want to get a basil plant.
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:34 am
Your basil plant looks so prolific! wonderful! I love to make my own marinara sauce too. Yours looks delicious!
November 23rd, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I too love a good sauce and this just looks lip smacking delicous.
November 23rd, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I love the photo, very appetizing!
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I've never bought jarred marinara as I too believe it is such a great staple to make yourself. I also make large batches and store in airtight containers which I place in the freezer for future use. Great recipe Ivy. I too had a pot of basil in the yard all summer but it seems to be dwindling away. I wonder, should I bring the pot indoors?
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Homemade marinara sauce looks so good… delicious over the pasta! I liked your basil plant
Please collect your awards from my blog, Ivy…
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Une vraie sauce tomate maison ne peut être que très bonne. Bravo!
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:30 pm
I agree 100% that buying this sauce at the store is not worth it. I love all the spices you use in yours.
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:35 pm
mmm… homemade marina sauce sounds just perfect! Excellent recipe!
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Homemade marinara sauce sounds fantastic, would love to try it ! I am sure this tastes way better than those store bought sauces….
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Sometimes it's good to be reminded of the simpler things. I just want to toss a little parmesan on that last picture and dig in with my fork!
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:10 pm
I love a good homemade Marinara! Looks delicious, Ivy!
November 24th, 2009 at 2:37 am
You can never go wrong with a good homemade marinara sauce. This looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
November 24th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
This recipe is a keeper. I never buy my pasta sauce. Love the deep color of the sauce.