Super Simple Marinara Sauce
Meet the marinara sauce recipe of my dreams! Ive always been intimidated by marinara, maybe because I love it so much that I was afraid of messing it up. I finally faced my fears and tried making marinara every which way. This version is my favorite, no contest.
This homemade marinara sauce offers rich and lively tomato flavor. Youll need only five basic pantry ingredients to make this delicious marinara sauce: good canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, dried oregano and olive oil. Thats it!
This marinara is exceptionally easy to make, too, so its perfect for busy weeknights. You dont even have to chop the onion and garlic. Yep, thats rightjust crank open a can of tomatoes, halve an onion and peel some garlic. Youre ready to go!
This sauce offers lovely, authentic Italian flavor after a 45-minute simmer. I tried to take shortcuts to make it even faster, but no amount of tomato paste, spices, salt or sugar will make up for lost time.
Bottom line: Its impossible to achieve enchanting, long-simmered marinara flavor in under 45 minutes. So throw those ingredients in a pot, pour yourself a glass of wine and boil water for pasta. Dinner is almost ready.
After trying many variations on marinara sauce, I adapted this recipe from Debs tomato sauce with onion and butter, which was originally sourced from Marcella Hazans 1992 cookbook, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
Do Bay Leaves Tenderize Meat
For meat that is cut into small pieces, refrigerate for 1 hour before cooking. For meat in one large piece, refrigerate for up to 3 hours before cooking. After marinating is complete, remove and discard the bay leaf. To tenderize meat during cooking, baste occasionally with the marinade.
Editors. 6 Last Updated. 2 days ago Authors. 7
Funghi E Piselli Pasta Sauce
Funghi E Piselli Pasta is nothing less than a treat for vegans! It is so rich that you will keep imagining about the richness and creaminess till the next day. We are not kidding!
Recipe
- Chopped garlic
- Juice and zest of a lemon
Sauté sliced mushrooms in grapeseed oil until brown. Add garlic and cook. Cut the snap piece into half and blanch for one minute. Blanch peeled pearl onions separately. Add blanched onions to the pan containing sautéed garlic and mushrooms.
Add white wine to the mixed vegetables and let the sauce reduce to a point when it is almost dry. Add cream and vegetable stock and let the sauce cook till it is reduced to half, with considerable thickness. When you get a satisfactory thickness, add blanched peas and lemon zest and juice and let the sauce simmer on a low flame. Toss it over Linguine pasta and enjoy a bowl of nutritious pasta!
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The Right Way To Sauce Pasta
“I’ll have a glass of the grappa, please,” I said to the bartender at the Italian restaurant down the street from my house.
“You are the first person I have ever seen order that,” she exclaimed in response. I asked her how long she’d been working there, figuring it might be her first week or two. “Almost two years now,” she said.
You see, this isn’t the kind of Italian restaurant where one would go to order grappa. It’s the kind of Italian restaurant where the house wine comes in a box and the Parmesan comes pre-grated in a shaker on the table. It’s the kind of Italian restaurant I imagine Billy Joel crooning about. I actually kinda like these sorts of restaurants, in a cheesy way . I like ripping off chunks of overly soft and saturated garlic bread, and the waiters who come around with the oversize pepper mill, as if it can rescue limp baby spinach . And then there are the meatballs as big as your face, and the extra-extra-fried calamari with its ramekin of tomato sauce for dipping.
The one thing I don’t like about them? The way they serve pasta. It’s almost inevitably a plate with a nest of reheated noodles that have been tossed in oil to prevent them from sticking to each other, with a big ladleful of sauce poured over the center. What exactly is the problem? Aren’t you getting pasta and sauce on your plate anyway? Who cares if it’s been tossed together beforehand, right?
Here’s how to properly sauce your pasta, step by step.
Classic Spaghetti Sauce With Meat
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To Freeze Spaghetti Sauce
Simply place the sauce in a freezerproof container and freeze. Will keep well in the freezer for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge, then reheat in a pot, and add the pasta as directed in the recipe.
I truly hope that you try this simple recipe with my suggested ingredients and that you will never buy jars of pre-made spaghetti sauce from the store in future. Thats my goal, so please let me know if you try it!
Make the Spaghetti Sauce
How To Make Pasta Salad:
Make dressing: combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, onion, lemon juice, basil, oregano, salt, sugar, pepper.
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain water and rinse pasta in cold water. Allow to cool, then pour half of the salad dressing and toss to combine.
Add remaining ingredients: mozzarella cheese pearls, salami, black olives, red onion, cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, parmesan, pepperoncini , and additional dressing, to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer, before serving.
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What Is The Secret To Good Spaghetti Sauce
There is no secret to good spaghetti sauce, you just have to ask the Italians: if you want good flavor, you need to start with the best quality ingredients! Its that simple. You can read about the best quality canned tomatoes in my fish in tomato sauce recipe.
Grating your own Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano to serve on top of your pasta is always the best plan.
The meat is really important, too! Try to buy grass fed, without antibiotics and growth hormones. Corn-fed beef is not a good thing, despite companies promoting it as if it was. This is an interview I listened to on the radio many years ago. Since then, I have always tried to buy better beef, for our health and the health and treatment of the cows.
Recently, I tried Farm Foods grass fed, non GMO ground beef to make my sauce, and Im so pleased! The meat doesnt end up in chewy chunks, but cooks beautifully in the sauce! The flavor is fabulous, too. You can have all types of grass feed beef, as well as lamb, pork, chicken and even seafood delivered right to your door ! Just click the banner below to go to their site.
How To Make Spaghetti Sauce: Step
Guide for how to make spaghetti sauce
In a pot or braiser, add a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Heat over medium/medium-high until just shimmering. Add chopped onions, garlic and finely grated carrots. Cook, stirring regularly for 5 minutes or so.
Now, add in crushed tomatoes and a little bit of water . Season with kosher salt and black pepper to your liking. Stir in dry oregano, paprika and fresh herbs . Bring this party to a boil briefly, then lower heat.
Cover and let the sauce simmer for 15 to 20 minutes . You should end up with a gorgeous sauce that is the perfect thickness. Add a bit of fresh basil or parsley if you have some left.
If you’re after the best tasting pasta, add your just cooked pasta to the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes or so to allow the pasta to absorb the flavors and goodness of the sauce!
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What Ingredients Go Into Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- Olive oil use for sauteing.
- Lean ground beef I recommend 85% lean ground Angus beef.
- Salt and pepper to season the beef and sauce and highlight its flavors.
- Onion and garlic these build a flavor foundation for the sauce. Always use fresh.
- Canned crushed tomatoes Ive actually done a side by side taste taste with several brands and Hunts is best. If you want to puree a can of San Marzano tomatoes that would be delicious too.
- Tomato Paste this adds lots of tomato flavor and helps thicken up the sauce.
- Fresh basil and fresh parsley this gives the sauce so much fresh flavor. Fresh basil in spaghetti sauce is a must in my book.
- Dried oregano since you wont be using much we go with dried, but feel free to substitute fresh if youve got it .
How To Make This Spaghetti Sauce Your Own
- If you have a garden full of tomatoes, thats wonderful! You can easily substitute peeled fresh tomatoes for the crushed and diced tomatoes. Roma tomatoes or another meaty variety work best. Youll need about four pounds.
- Add more veggies: Chopped bell peppers or mushrooms can be added. Sauté them with the onions. Or stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach right before serving.
- I like to serve this sauce with homemade meatballs or baked turkey meatballs. Frozen meatballs are so handy. Just add them to the sauce about halfway through the simmering time so they get heated through.
- If you would like to make a spaghetti sauce with meat, sauté ground beef or turkey, or Italian sausage with the onions, and then continue the recipe as directed.
- If you happen to have a rind of Parmesan cheese, put that in the sauce as it simmers to enhance the flavor.
- Make this sauce vegan or Whole30 simply by omitting the butter and sugar.
- Dont have any fresh herbs? Simply add a tablespoon of dried basil and parsley instead.
- If you prefer a sauce made without tomatoes, maybe this isnt the recipe for you. Try this creamy chicken spaghetti or chicken Marsala pasta.
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Can I Cook Dry Pasta In Sauce
Simply thin some tomato sauce with water, bring it to a boil, dump the dry spaghetti into it, and cook it for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesnt stick to the bottom of the pan, until an al-dente texture is reached. When the pasta finally became flimsy, I gave it a quick taste.
Why Does My Spaghetti Sauce Not Stick To The Noodles
The rationale behind this is: The pasta will keep cooking in the sauce later. So if you pull it out of the water at a ready-to-eat consistency, by the time youre done mixing everything together, it will actually be overcooked. Before draining the pasta, reserve at least half a cup of the water it cooked in.
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How Do You Add Flavor To Pasta Sauce
My answer to this question is contrary to what youll find on Google . Even though this recipe will give you a spaghetti sauce with fabulous flavor, you can add more flavor if you like, but dont reach for the spices! Instead, you can add any of the following:
- finely diced onion
Want to learn more about authentic Italian cuisine? You need this short book by my Italian-born friend, Alessandra Gambini, called No Ketchup on Spaghetti, How to Shop, Eat and Cook like an Italian.
What Toppings Can You Put On Spaghetti
Most Read Life Stories FRESH TOMATO. Mix 6 to 7 seeded and diced ripe tomatoes with 1 clove crushed garlic, 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. PRIMAVERA. THREE-CHEESE. LEMON ARTICHOKE PESTO. TOMATO, ONION AND MUSHROOM. QUICK CHICKEN ALFREDO. LEMONY SCALLOP. WHITE WINE, MUSHROOM AND CREAM.
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Family Tested Dad Approved
Part of the reason we worked so hard to perfect this canned spaghetti sauce recipe is because of our dad. To know him is to know his passionate love for Italian food. He is super picky about spaghetti sauce it has to be just right. Well, were happy to report that we served this sauce at family dinner recently and our dad loved it! He couldnt get enough. In fact, he used a spoon to get all the excess off his plate. Hes crazy about this savory sauce, and you will be too!
Watch The Video For How To Make This Spaghetti Sauce Recipe:
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JOIN MY FREE E-MAIL LIST HERE.
SHOP OUR ONLINE STORE FOR QUALITY OLIVE OILS, ALL-NATURAL SPICES AND MORE
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How To Make Spaghetti Sauce From Scratch
- Brown the beef: heating 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef in large crumbles, leaving space between.
- Season with salt and let beef brown nicely on bottom.
- Crumble beef: Then begin breaking beef up . Let it continue to cook until it has cooked through .
- Drain beef: Transfer browned beef to a paper towel lined plate, leave about 1 Tbsp fat in pan. Or add 1 Tbsp olive oil.
- Saute aromatics: Add onion and saute 4 minutes or until almost softened, then add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
- Add other ingredients:stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, beef, basil and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer sauce: Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat to low , cover with lid and let simmer until onions have softened through, about 15 minutes.
- Adjust consistency as desired: If you have more time let it simmer longer. Thin with a little water as needed, thicken with a little tomato paste as needed .
- Finish with cheese: Stir in parmesan at the very end and let melt through. Serve over pasta of choice topped with more parmesan and parsley.
How Do You Thicken Spaghetti Sauce
The best way to add some bulk to a watery pasta sauce is to add about 1/8-1/4 cup of starchy pasta water. If youve already strained the pasta, you can mix together a bit of cornstarch and water to create a slurry and add it to the sauce instead.
No matter how much time you have, these pasta sauce hacks from our Community Cooks are sure to earn a big bravo from your family. And remember, its all about convenience and resourcefulness, says Kelly Kirby: Never the same twice! Youve got this.
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Reheating And Storage Tips
Leftover spaghetti sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store in a resealable container. Reheat gently in a saucepan on the stove when ready to serve.
Homemade spaghetti sauce is a meal preppers dream. You can make a big batch of this sauce when you have extra time and freeze it in freezer containers indefinitely. Preferably, you should allow time for it to thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
Or, make a big batch of sauce on Saturday or Sunday, and plan meals around it for the rest of the week. Its perfect for more than spaghetti and meatballs. Use it for this easy skillet lasagna, pizza stuffed spaghetti squash, rustic polenta stack, or pizza quesadillas, or as a dipping sauce for air fryer mozzarella sticks or chicken strips.
