How To Make A Good Marinara Sauce

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Top Scrambled Eggs Or A Baked Potato

How To Make Homemade Marinara Sauce

You already know marinara sauce goes oh-so well with pasta, but did you know it can also taste great on top of scrambled eggs or a baked potato?

When paired with scrambled eggs, marinara sauce gives your meal an Italian twistand its perfect for when you want something warm and comforting!

Here are a few tips to make sure your meal is delicious:

  • Using whole eggs will give your dish a creamier texture to balance out the acidity of the sauce.
  • Add in some herbs like basil or parsley to give the dish some fresh flavor, which pairs well with the richness of the eggs and sauce.
  • If youre using a jarred brand of marinara sauce, be sure to choose one that doesnt have too much sugar in it, otherwise youll end up with a sickly sweet egg dish!

Making Marinara Sauce Ahead Of Time

Even though this sauce may not take all that much effort to make, on a busy weeknight, I completely get that you may not want to stand over the the stove for an extra 30 minutes to make marinara.

No worries, this sauce can be made 100% ahead of time! I normally make mine the day before, but you can make it up to 5-6 days ahead of time .

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Authentic Italian Marinara Sauce From Scratch

Never buy a jar of Marinara Sauce again! This Authentic Italian Marinara Sauce from scratch recipe is so delicious and EASY to make! Impress your family and friends with your rich homemade marinara sauce that you made in less than 30 minutes. This is the only tomato sauce recipe you need perfect for pasta, pizza, and meatballs! Just like my Nana used to make! Whether you want to make homemade marinara sauce from fresh tomatoes or canned, chunky-style or smooth, weve got you covered!

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Ways To Use Marinara Sauce:

There are sooo many delicious ways that you can put this marinara recipe to use! For example, feel free to serve it with

  • Pasta: Spaghetti marinara is a classic, of course. But you could stir this sauce into any other kinds of pasta, baked ziti, lasagna and more. Or if you really want to go for the gold, make some homemade pasta!
  • Meat or seafood: You could make Italian meatballs marinara, chicken marinara, shrimp marinara, mussels marinara, or whatever else might sound good!
  • Parmigiana: Im also partial to using this sauce in my favorite baked eggplant Parmesan and chicken Parmesan recipes.
  • Pizza: This recipe can also double as a marinara pizza sauce in any of your favorite pizza or flatbread recipes.
  • Dipping sauce: Its also a fantastic dipping sauce for everything from breadsticks to mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, calamari, toasted ravioli and more.
  • Subs and sandwiches: You know, Joey Tribbiani style. )

What To Use Marinara Sauce For

Homemade Marinara Sauce

Pasta is only the beginning. There are so many recipes you can make using your homemade marinara. It makes an amazing base for tomato soup, meatballs or neat balls. Or ratatouille. Yes, that lovely French layered veggie dish some recipes use a vegetable puree in the pan before laying out the beautiful thin cuts of vegetables.

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To Accompany The Fritters

In addition to the more traditional uses, more recently there is the custom of using marinara sauce to accompany fried foods of various kinds, including fish.

For an aperitif with friends or for a buffet dinner party, Marinara sauce will make your fried foods even more delicious and flavorful.

Serve Marinara sauce in small bowls in which to dip, for example, Meatballs, Fried Calamari or Shrimp, Fried Zucchini, Arancini.

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The Best Ingredients for Marinara Sauce

The key to the recipe is to use the best ingredients you can in the marinara sauce. Here are some of our favorites below if you arent sure.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are multiples ways you can play with this base marinara sauce to fit your recipes and tastes. Thats whats great about this easy marinara sauce. Its lovely on its own but a versatile base for different flavor profiles.

How do I make Homemade Meat Marinara?

Swap chicken stock for beef stock. Brown your beef well, remove, brown your onions and garlic in a mix of the beef fat and olive oil. For a sausage flavor using straight ground beef, add some fennel seeds to the pot too.

How do I make Angry Red Marinara Sauce?

Add more crushed red peppers to taste and add a much larger amount of garlic, up to ¼ cup of minced garlic.

How do you make Vodka Sauce with Marinara?

Add a ½ cup heavy cream and a ¼ cup of vodka. Omit the herbs. This is best served with shrimp or chicken. Also top with healthy amounts of parmesan cheese.

How can I make a Creamy Marinara Sauce?

Simmer the sauce down to a thicker consistency, uncovered instead of covered, then thin with some cream. You can also add a pinch of nutmeg since the cream adds a hint of sweetness to the marinara sauce anyway.

Can I make Marinara Sauce with fresh tomatoes?Can I use grape tomatoes in Marinara Sauce?How do I make Tomato Soup from Marinara?

How to Store Marinara Sauce

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How To Thicken Marinara Sauce

This pasta sauce should be thick enough to enjoy after simmering for several minutes uncovered, but if you want it even thicker then here are a couple of ways to thicken your pasta sauce.

  • The first way is to add tomato paste. If you add tomato paste, I may add a touch more sugar, as you are adding to the acidity in the sauce. Taste as you go.
  • The second option is to add a small amount of water from your cooked pasta. Pasta releases quite a bit of starch as it cooks which is great for thickening sauces. You can see how I use pasta water in this Stove Top Pastitsio. It really is a simple cooking hack. You can reduce the amount of liquid use less tomato sauce and then allow the sauce to simmer longer so that it cooks down.
  • Lastly, you can add a small amount of cornstarch to your recipe. It dissolves easily and is tasteless.
  • Difference Between Marinara Sauce And Spaghetti Sauce

    How to Make the Perfect Marinara Sauce

    : Quick-cooking and seasoned only with garlic, crushed red pepper , and basil. Best when made with whole tomatoes, such as whole San Marzano, plum, or Roma tomatoes, that are coarsely crushed , simmered, and processed into a smooth sauce or left chunky.

    Spaghetti Sauce : Made using pureed tomatoes and a combination of onion, carrot, celery, and bay leaf, Spaghetti Sauce takes longer to prepare as it requires a longer period of time to simmer and thicken when compared to Marinara Sauce. Sometimes, Spaghetti Sauce will include meat such as beef or pork for added flavor.

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    Watch The Marinara Sauce Video Tutorial:

    I hope this Marinara recipe becomes a new favorite go-to recipe for you. P.S. If this video doesnt load right away, give it a few seconds. Youll see a faded horizontal image of pasta sauce then click the play button in the center. To view the video, make sure to temporarily pause your ad blockers on your browser.

    What Is Marinara Sauce And How To Make It From Scratch

    When you love Italian cuisine and want to try the most delicious Italian recipes, its common to get confused between the sauces, especially the marinara sauce. The traditional Italian red tomato sauce has such variant uses that you are often confused about whether youre using a spaghetti sauce, marinara sauce, or Pomodoro sauce.

    And you keep on searching about what is marinara sauce or its most authentic recipes.

    We understand your worry very well. Its why in this article, well be discussing marinara sauce. You can hope that in the end, youll be more confident about using the marinara sauce in your food.

    Here we come.

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    What Is The Origin Of Marinara Sauce

    The exact origin of tomato sauce, marinara, is unknown. However, its believed that this sauce was first made in Neles, a metropolitan of Italy when the Spanish introduced the Italians to tomatoes in 1600 when they colonized Europe.

    About the marinara sauce, its believed that either chefs or landlubbers on ships of Italian and Spanish explorers included this sauce in sailors meals. The reason was that being acidic, it could last longer without going bad. Soon, it was the favorite lunch of Italys merchants on lengthy sea voyages.

    However, the local Italians hesitated to use the tomatoes for a long time except for medicinal use. Later, Italians began to use the tomatoes in the form of sauce as time passed. Initially, the carnivorous, rich Italian people didnt admire it at all, but the poor adopted it as the tastiest nutrient-rich food.

    As stated by Diego Zancani, emeritus professor of medieval and modern languages at Oxford University and author of How We Fell in Love with Italian Food,

    The earliest recipe for tomato sauce was published in 1694 by Neapolitan chef Antonio Latini in his book Lo Scalco alla Moderna.

    The book mentioned that you could make an amazing sauce by mixing a few herbs and onions into tomatoes. And this sauce could pair well with protein-based recipes.

    Meanwhile, a dish for pasta with tomato sauce appears in chef Francesco Leonardis 1790 cookbook, LApicio Moderno.

    Our Favorite Ways To Use Pasta Sauce:

    How to Make Homemade Marinara Sauce

    This recipe is so versatile. Use it for any recipe that calls for Marinara Sauce.

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    What Are Some More Uses For Homemade Marinara Sauce That Arent Pasta

    This homemade marinara recipe is well-suited for so many recipes like this Pork Parmesan or this Basil Ricotta Dumpling recipe.

    It works as a base for both these Homemade Parmesan Soft Pretzel Bites, this crockpot lasagna, and this meaty marinara. Basically, this sauce will work anytime you need a red sauce. It is an extremely versatile sauce!

    How To Can Homemade Marinara Sauce

    This sauce recipe makes enough for several servings. If making it to can or freeze for later, double, triple or make more times the recipe.

    Sterilize glass canning jars and lids before adding the marinara sauce plus 1/4 teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice per pint . Process in a water bath with sealed lids for 35 minutes.

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    Brown The Tomato Paste Then Add Tomatoes For More Flavor

    The concentrated tomato flavor of tomato paste adds richness and depth to this sauce. In many sauces, tomato paste is added late in the game to simmer away as it deepens in flavor. In quick sauces like this one, theres no time for long simmers, so add it earlier in the process.

    Once the garlic has become golden brown, carefully, and I repeat, CAREFULLY, add the tomato paste to the oil. Take care so it doesnt splatter, spit, and burn you.

    Brown the tomato paste in the oil and garlic for 1 minute. Stir constantly to coax out the tomato pastes richness.

    Slowly spoon the crushed tomatoes into the skillet, add the whole, fresh basil stems, season, and simmer for 30 minutes.

    How To Use This Marinara Sauce Recipe

    Marinara Sauce the Easy Way | Chef Jean-Pierre

    Im sure you already have a few favorite ways to use marinara sauce, but if youre looking for more, Ive got you covered! You cant go wrong with any of these:

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    How Long Does Marinara Sauce Last

    That is to say, if you dont eat it all on day one. If properly sealed, this marinara sauce will last between 5-7 days. If you do go the meat sauce route, be sure to use it up within 3-4 days.

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    What Kind Of Canned Tomatoes To Use

    Puréed tomatoes might feel like the obvious choice here, but I recommend using whole peeled tomatoes for your marinara sauce. These break down into perfect sauciness in about 20 minutes, but still retain a little substance, which gives the sauce some body something sauces made with purée can lack. Ive also used diced tomatoes, but find that these generally dont break down as easily or quickly theyre fine to use if you dont mind a chunkier sauce.

    Really, any canned tomatoes you have in your pantry can be used in a pinch, up to and including tomatoes that youve canned yourself. Id only avoid tomatoes that have flavorings or herbs added to them your sauce will be a hundred times better if you add these things yourself.

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    The Tastiest Marinara Sauce Recipe From Canned Tomatoes Fusion Version

    Italian recipes also allow you to make them a bit more delicious to the extent they remain authentic. Its why youre allowed to add a little apple flavor or bell peppers. Apples infuse a marvelous sweet scent to your sauce, and red bell peppers will enhance the sauces red color.

    Ingredients

    • 10-15 fresh basil leaves

    Ingredients

    • Open the tomato canes and pour tomatoes into a large bowl.
    • Crush them using your hands, preferably. You can also use a food mill or hand blender to get a smooth texture.
    • Fry the onion and garlic in the extra virgin olive oil until transparent.
    • Add tomatoes and bell pepper to the sauce and apple.
    • Let it cook for 30 minutes. (If you multiply the quantity by 2X, you can extend the simmering time up to 45 minutes.
    • After cooking, remove the apple pieces from the sauce.
    • Add hand-crushed fresh basil leaves and salt into the sauce and mix it.

    Your appetizing marinara sauce is ready to go with pizzas, any kinds of pasta, and all other main courses.

    A Few Notes About The 30

    Marinara Sauce Recipe

    Simmer so it bubbles. A rapid simmer with a few bobbling bubbles is what youre looking for.

    The oil will separate. As the sauce cooks, the olive oil will separate from the tomato mixture. Dont be too concerned about the separation. The flavor is infusing and melting into the tomatoes as they cook down. Stir or whisk to emulsify.

    Fish out the garlic cloves and basil stemsor leave them in. Once the sauce is finished cooking, the garlic cloves will have become soft and jammy and done their job. Consider smashing them more to incorporate into the sauce or fishing them out and discarding.

    Balance the flavor with more salt or a pinch of sugar. Take the taste test. If needed, add more salt to bring out more tomato flavor, or add a pinch or two of sugar to balance the acidic flavor.

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    Dip In Your Favorite Crackers

    This is a great alternative because its healthy and quick to prepare.

    And you can incorporate tons of other toppings to add even more flavor or texture.

    Here are some tips on how to make this work as a meal:

    • Prepare the crackers ahead of time so all you need to do is grab the marinara sauce and pop them in the oven when you get home from work .
    • Add mozzarella cheese and put them in the oven for a few minutes before serving so that the cheese melts into each bite.
    • Serve with fresh basil, oregano, or thyme sprinkled on top for an extra punch of flavor.

    Authentic Homemade Marinara Sauce:

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    Prep everything so that its ready to go. Wash your tomatoes, finely slice your garlic, and roughly chop the tomatoes, onions and basil.

    Add the olive oil to the saucepan and heat it up . Throw in the garlic and chili flakes and let them cook for about a minute before you add a generous splash of red wine and your onions to the mix and let it simmer for another minute. Side Note: For the red wine, I used a Cabernet Sauvignon, but I also love using Merlot Its really up to you, but Id suggest going for a drier red rather than a sweet one.

    When the onions start to go translucent, add all the chopped tomatoes to the pan. Sprinkle sugar and salt over them, then add the chopped basil and stir this all together before throwing in the rest of the wine. Stir again and put a lid over the pan so that the tomatoes start to soften.

    While it cooks, prepare your vegetable stock. Add it to the sauce and give it another stir. Then let it simmer on a medium heat with the lid on for about an hour. Stirring often

    Now you can either bottle it or add it to fresh pasta and serve. Either way, I hope you enjoy!

    Stay Foxxy!

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