Cooking 101 – Marinara Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase.
photo: we heart this
A Green Monday recipe that’s essential for vegetarian cooks
If you enjoy cooking, there’s no bigger joy that pulling off a difficult meal. But sometimes, so much time is spent mastering the show boat recipes that you over look the essentials. It’s with that thought that we bring you Cooking 101. Whether you just need to get back to basics, or you are truly a beginner, with these recipes as your foundations, you can really make some unforgettable meals.
I never knew how to make a homemade Marinara sauce (my Italian Grandfather is somewhere clicking his tongue at me right now). So, when on a recent visit to my house, Pam volunteered to share her recipe with me, I jumped at the chance. Seeing how truly easy it is to make, and thinking about how many jars of sauce I’ve bought in my lifetime, I’m embarrassed!
Marinara is a vegetarian sauce that gets it’s name from the word marinaro, Italian for sailor (or specifically, seafaring), as it was a quick and easy, yet hearty sauce made for sailors when they came home from sea. It’s inexpensive, delicious and your first step in mastering Italian cooking. Once you get the hang of it, you can add just about anything; wine, mushrooms, crushed red pepper for a spicier sauce. The possibilities are endless.
Ingredients: (makes about 2.5 quarts)
- 3 28 oz cans whole tomatoes (here’s a case where more expensive is truly better)
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 1/3rd cup vegetable oil and olive oil blend*
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh or 1/2 tbsp dried of each: oregano, parsley, basil
Preparation:
-In a large pot, over medium heat; saute the carrot and celery (seasoned with the salt and pepper) in the oil blend until tender, about 7 minutes.
-Add onion to the carrot and celery mixture, cover and cook 10 minutes (stirring frequently to avoid burning), until the onion has caramelized**.
-Move vegetables to the side, allowing the oil to fill the center of your pot. Add garlic to the oil, cook for 1 minute, then mix vegetables in and cook for 2 additional minutes.
-Add tomato paste, stirring to coat the vegetables. Cook for 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
-While the vegetables and paste are cooking, blend the whole tomatoes in a Cuisinart, emulsion or standard blender, to the desired consistency. If you are using fresh herbs, these can be blended with the tomatoes.
-Add blended tomatoes to pot. If you are using dried herbs, they should be added now (rub them in your palms to release the oils).
-Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, adding a bit of water if the sauce gets too thick.
The sauce can be made 1 day ahead, and I encourage you to do so! It really does taste better after giving the flavors a day to marinate. Just be sure to allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat over medium heat before using.
Extra credit:
*Why a blend of two oils? Olive oil cooks hot, so a blend (which you do yourself, don’t try to find this in a store!) will make sure you don’t scorch the oil.
**Just what the heck is caramelization? It’s cooking, until the sugars in a vegetable are released, resulting in browning.
Yum! This looks and sounds amazing! I’ve only had fresh marinara once and it blew me away. I must try this!!
So what do you reccommend doing with it? I’ve only used it as a dipping sauce for calamari or cheese sticks, really….any suggestions on the type of pasta to put it on?
Oh my gosh! I have to try this! Thanks!
Good job Stef!!! How true, it really was good the next day. But it was great the day of too! Especially with the crispy buttery garlic bread. It’s too early in the morning to be ravenous for this!
This is good on any kind of Pasta, of course, it’s even better when you sprinkle some quality cheese on top like Pecorino Romano or a Parmesan blend. Trader Joes has a nice variety of graded cheeses. Some at the grocery store are frankly horrible and are more like sawdust! Pay a little more for good cheese! You will be soooo happy and thinks it’s even more yummy. One of my favorite ways to cook this is with the addition of mushrooms – I rough chop them and they go in after the onions. Mushrooms are an amazing flavor enhancer. It’s so healthy and delicious!
Mmmm, this looks so yummy! As a vegetarian, I eat a lot of marinara sauce and like Stef I’m ashamed to admit that I only ever use jars of sauces.
I am totally adding this to my “Cook This Next” list. I like the idea of pulling out homemade sauce whenever I need some tomato sauce.
Pam, if I double the recipe, can I refrigerate/freeze the extra sauce for use over a few weeks?
.-= Tyna Werner´s last blog ..10 organizing tips to achieve your dream closet =-.
This does sound delicious, and simple, too! Tyna asked my question: can you freeze it?
I’m so excited to have a place to start with this basic…eating at home is so much better than going out but it is all in the recipe!
Thank you!
That looks fantastic and I had no idea the name came from the word for sailor! My 2 years of Italian language studies in college are clearly a little rusty. LOL.
Yes, double, triple – quad, you wouldn’t believe the huge batches we do.. It also freezes well. :)I do all the time! It’s great to pull out for an easy dinner! I made one this weekend, and tonight I’m using some of it as a topping on Italian breaded Chicken Parm dish..
Stef, what a great recipe!
I like to make a HUGE pot of my mother’s spaghetti sauce about once a month to have on hand for dinner emergencies. This would be great for using for a change!
Sounds so good!! I do a similar sauce but add a few cloves of garlic, a splash of balsamic and a pinch of sugar so it’s kind of sweet but ooooh so good! Pam this sounds Fantastic! I’m trying this over the weekend and using it to top Chicken Parm.. sounds divine! :)
I had no idea the name came from Sailor.. makes me love it more !!
Yum, I can’t wait to try out this recipe! I’ve made sauce before, but it had meat in it (and pretty much every sauce recipe I could find revolved around the beef). Definitely happy to have a veg sauce recipe!
This is a great base.. Although not my Nana’s sauce or my in-laws, but it works well and is super healthy. Some other time,not now we’ll talk meat sauce. That one will make any one who loves a good meatball speak another language, and loose it completely.
After reading this post last night, I had a huge craving for Spaghetti! Unfortunately I had to use a jar or marinara but next time I’m trying this out!
I am not a huge fan of chunky sauce. But the blending of the tomatoes leads me to believe that maybe this isn’t or at least doesn’t have to be chunky. Am I right? Possible texture aside it sounds delicious! My husband would love it. He adores marinara and chunky sauces. So I will pass this on to him and see what kind of magic he can cook up.
Hi Kellie,
You could make this as “non Chunky” as you like! Downright creamy if you blend it enough…
.-= stef´s last blog ..Davines De Stress Yogurt Shampoo & Conditioner =-.
I make homemade tomatoes sauce every summer. I love canning up all of the garden goodness. (Well, let me recant that. I love having all of the garden goodness available in a jar in the winter.) I typically make many different types of sauces. Some of them are smooth thanks to my Wolf Gang Puck boat motor. Other sauces, I prefer more of rustic texture. I have used all kinds of herbs, onions, garlic and peppers.
I started canning tomatoes sauce years ago when I had a bumper crop of tomatoes and peppers in my garden and I could not even give them all away. It is a lot of work but, the results are well worth the effort.
Stef– This is a great topic! Maybe some of us can throw out some of our favorite recipes when tomatoes, onions, peppers and whatever else is in season!
Oh Holly, I remember my Grandparents canning every year. It was always so much fun. Well, fun for me, who did nothing but run around like a kid and get in the way. A lot of work for them! But the whole family would “shop” in their basement for tomatoes, jams made from all their fruit trees, they even made dandelion wine!
I’d give anything to walk through that cellar right now and grab some goods. Or to be able to do it myself. This desert girl is jealous of you girls with gardens!
.-= stef´s last blog ..My mortifying first period story =-.
I would like to encourage everyone, if they can to try to grow thier own veggies! It’s seedling time at our house.. all from seed! Everything from basil, Italian parsley, thyme, rosemary, radishes, green onions to various kinds of Tomatoes.. We are even growing Stevia.. It’s so exciting to watch them grow before your eyes.. Then cook with them.. I love that we have 100% control over them.. oh, everything is completely organic! :) Why not! It’s not expensive you just need a little time and love of plants!
Wow Pam!! your growing Stevia! That’s so cool.. I am about to start a major herb garden and can’t wait.. nothing beats fresh herbs.. and I’m hoping to get a garden going in the Spring..
My old neighbors had an amazing garden and always gave me fresh tomatoes and peppers.. they tasted amazing!
I think we need an article about herb/vegetable gardening! I know absolutely nothing about the topic but I’ve always wanted to grow my own herbs and veggies!
OOOOOO Rebecca good idea! I second that….
A Green Monday on Herb gardening would be awesome :)
ohhhh great idea, I agree Rebecca and Christy! If only we all could at least try our hand at it.. Who knows what you can grow! I’m going to take a picture of our seedlings/babies that my husband has started and send them to Stef.. You will just crack up at the slew of them..
Christy, this will be the first time growing Stevia. I’m excited because we can use it in so many things! I’ll let you know how it goes soon enough!
Awesome! Can’t wait to hear how it does.. I’m totally intrigued by Stevia :)
& I Can’t wait to see pix of your budding little seedlings !!
Go for it Pam! I love the idea of growing herbs but have never tried it. I think both Stef and Bronwen have had pots of yummy smelling herbs near their kitchen at one time or another. I will add it to my “Future Green Monday Post Ideas” list (and if anyone is an expert in it let me know – we’re always up for a guest post!)
Oh and I just saw this on Shelteriffic not too long ago – this would make it so easy to have some fresh herbs in your kitchen!
http://www.shelterrific.com/2010/02/12/a-much-hipper-way-to-grow-plants-upside-down/
.-= Tyna Werner´s last blog ..Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peel review =-.