Marinara sauce is a simple tomato sauce with just a few additional ingredients for flavor. Today, we make this Italian marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes in under one hour. I also show you my cool trick to getting a nice deep red color on homemade tomato sauce.
Table of Content
A marinara sauce is one item that must always be in your freezer. I ALWAYS have a batch of this, tomato, and pizza sauce in my freezer. In fact, I begin to worry if my freezer runs out of it. Usually, I make a double batch and store it in smaller portions. They stay for about three months in the freezer.
You know how I feel about fresh produce as compared to canned. I only use canned when I have to. It bothers me to use canned tomatoes for my marinara when I see all those beautiful red ripe tomatoes in the market waiting to be picked. Fresh is fresh, right?
Why make this marinara?
- There is nothing better than the taste of fresh tomatoes. I like to peel, deseed and crush my tomatoes. Similar to the canned ones.
- The sauce can be cooked for as little as 30 minutes or up to an hour to concentrate the tomato flavor.
- This sauce doesn't really need a lot of ingredients. Fresh tomatoes and basil and the rest are pantry staples.
- The best part is it freezes beautifully and can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to portion them in flat ziplock bags to occupy less space.
- There is so much you can do with this sauce.
- Use it as is over boiled pasta for a simple marinara pasta.
- You can thicken this sauce to make a delicious pizza sauce
- Brown some ground beef with a marinara sauce for a quick meat sauce or try my bolognese sauce and serve it with spaghetti to make spaghetti bolognese.
- Add some mushrooms to make a quick mushroom pasta.
- You can drop a few meatballs in this sauce to make a quick meatball pasta.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Tomatoes - A marinara sauce is best made with crushed and strained San Marzano or plum tomatoes, which are sweeter than most other tomatoes. I love to pick local red ripe, yet still firm tomatoes. They cook down beautifully. And, I also add a tablespoon spoon of brown sugar for added sweetness and color.
- Oregano - Adds a nice flavor along with the basil.
- Chilly flakes - I like a little bit of spice to my marinara, so I use smoked hot chili flakes.
- Onion - I love the flavor of Spanish onions in my tomato sauce.
- Garlic - I'm using fresh, but you can also use ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Basil - I love the flavor of fresh basil, but you can also use ½ teaspoon of dried basil.
Marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes
Prepare tomatoes
- Mark an X with a knife on the bottom of the tomatoes and put them in hot water for 3 to 5 minutes.
Pro tip - the cut on the tomato will cause the skin to open making it easier to peel. - Take them out with a slotted spoon and put them in cold water. Drain and cool the tomatoes until barely warm.
Pro tip - shocking the tomatoes from hot to cold water will separate the skin from the tomato making it easy to peel
- Peel the skin with the edge of your knife. Deseed them using my easy method shown in the video.
Prp tip - follow the cut we made and peel the tomatoes then open the tomato and let the seed fall off. - Place the seeds in a colander so you can gather all the juices.
Pro tip - tomato juices have a lot of flavors so don't throw them away. Get as much of the juice around the seeds by pressing down on them seeds - Pulse the tomato pulp and juices in the bowl or food processor until smooth.
Pro tip- The puree can be frozen for up to 3 months. A good method to store tomatoes when they are in season
Sauce
- In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom saute pan, add oil, garlic, chilly flakes, and onions. Saute until onions are translucent.
Pro tip - I like to cook the onions until they get a little caramelized. The flavor is amazing - Then, add the dried herbs, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
- Followed by brown sugar. Saute for 2 minutes until the sugar caramelizes
Pro tip - This is the secret to the deep color in this sauce. Caramelizing the sugar will deepen the color of our sauce - Next, add the prepared tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and add the basil leaves.
Pro tip - I like to add the whole sprigs of basil in there so I can take it off easily (my kids don't mind the flavor but they do mind the leaves) - Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes to an hour or until the sauce is thicker and you see some oil on the surface of the sauce. (looks shiny) The sauce will thicken and deepen as it cools.
Pro tip - the longer you cook the more concentrated the flavor of your tomato sauce. I like to cook mine for at least an hour.
Tips for Success
- The main purpose of the brown sugar here is to caramelize it so it adds a touch of brown to the red. Do you know what happens to red when you add a touch of brown? It deepens the red. We are using the same principle here. Just add a dash of brown to the red, which is why we want to make sure we just caramelize it not burn it.
- Use a deep Dutch oven or heavy bottom saute pan to prevent sticking and splattering.
- If you want a chunkier marinara sauce, don't blend the tomatoes - crush them with your hands or a potato masher
- If you don't want to use fresh tomatoes use my recipe for marinara sauce in 20 minutes using canned tomatoes
- If the tomato sauce is too thick - add a little water to bring it back to consistency.
What can you do with fresh marinara sauce?
- There is so much you can do with this red sauce. Use it as is over boiled pasta for a simple marinara pasta or baked ziti, Italian meatballs, or veggies.
- You can thicken this sauce to make a delicious marinara pizza sauce
- Brown some ground beef with a marinara sauce for a quick meat or spaghetti sauce or try my bolognese sauce and serve it with spaghetti to make marinara spaghetti bolognese.
- Add some mushrooms to make a quick marinara mushroom pasta.
- You can drop a few meatballs in this sauce to make a quick marinara meatballs pasta.
- Use it over breaded chicken and top it with cheese to make a delicious chicken parmesan or over-grilled eggplant to make eggplant parmesan.
- Pasta sauce marinara - Simmer 2 cups marina sauce, add ¼ cup cream, ¼ cup Parmesan sauce, and fresh basil - serve over boiled pasta.
- Pizza sauce marinara - If you thicken the marinara sauce it works perfectly as a pizza sauce. Add some topping and some cheese before baking. See all my pizza recipes here.
- Marinara mushroom Pasta - Saute 1 lb mushrooms, then add 2 cup marinara sauce, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, and some fresh basil. Add 1 lb boiled pasta.
- Marinara spaghetti bolognese - brown 1 lbs ground beef, add 2 cups marinara sauce, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup fresh cream, and fresh basil. Serve over boiled spaghetti pasta.
How long will this marinara sauce keep?
This sauce will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. You can portion it and freeze it in freezer-safe bags for about 3 months.
Is this marinara sauce the same as tomato sauce?
Both are tomato sauce. However, marinara sauce is best made with crushed and strained San Marzano or plum tomatoes.
Is this the same as pasta sauce?
Yes, the base is the same. Pasta sauce is usually simmered over low heat until thicker. The slow cooking makes the tomatoes sweeter, richer, and deeper in flavor. Often other ingredients are also added. Sometimes, a sprinkle of parmesan, cream, sour cream can be added as well.
How do you get a deep red color on the marinara sauce?
The main purpose of the brown sugar here is to caramelize it so it adds a touch of brown to the red. Do you know what happens to red when you add a touch of brown? It deepens the red. We are using the same principle here. Just add a dash of brown to the red, which is why we want to make sure we just caramelize it not burn it.
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Printable Recipe
Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save Grow Difficulty: Easy
Diet : GF, NF, Eggless, Vegetarian
Calories: 77kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 4 cups
Description
Marinara sauce is a simple tomato sauce with just a few additional ingredients for flavor. Today, we make this Italian sauce with fresh tomatoes in under one hour. I also show you my cool trick to getting a nice deep red color on homemade tomato sauce.
Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (1 kg) Tomatoes ((about 8 med or 10 small))
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Chily flakes
- ½ cup Onions (chopped finely)
- 2 large Garlic cloves (sliced)
- ½ tablespoon Brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Oregano (dried)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 sprigs Basil
- 3 sprigs Thyme
- 2 sprigs Rosemary
Instructions
Prepare tomatoes
- Mark an X with a knife on the bottom of the tomatoes and put them in hot water for 3 to 5 minutes.Pro tip - the cut on the tomato will cause the skin to open making it easier to peel.
- Take them out with a slotted spoon and put them in cold water. Drain and cool the tomatoes until barely warm.Pro tip - shocking the tomatoes from hot to cold water will separate the skin from the tomato making it easy to peel
- Peel the skin with the edge of your knife. Deseed them using this easy method shown in the video.Pro tip - follow the cut we made and peel the tomatoes then open the tomato and let the seed fall off.
- Place the seeds in a colander so you can gather all the juices.Pro tip - the tomato juices have a lot of flavors so don't throw them away. Get as much of the juice around the seeds by pressing down on the seeds
- Pulse the tomato pulp and juices in the bowl or food processor until smooth. Pro tip- The puree can be frozen for up to 3 months. A good method to store tomatoes when they are in season
Sauce
- In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom saute pan, add oil, garlic, chilly flakes, and onions. Saute until onions are translucent.Pro tip - I like to cook the onions until they get a little caramelized. The flavor is amazing
- Then, add the dried herbs, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
- Followed by brown sugar. Saute for 2 minutes until the sugar caramelizes Pro tip - This is the secret to the deep color in this sauce. Caramelizing the sugar will deepen the color of our sauce
- Next, add the prepared tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and add the basil leaves.Pro tip - I like to add the whole sprigs of basil in there so I can take it off easily (my kids don't mind the flavor but they do mind the leaves)
- Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes to an hour or until the sauce is thicker and you see some oil on the surface of the sauce. (looks shiny) The sauce will thicken and deepen as it cools.Pro tip - the longer you cook the more concentrated the flavor of your tomato sauce. I like to cook mine for at least an hour.
- Serve over pasta or use in any recipe that calls for marinara sauce.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- The main purpose of the brown sugar here is to caramelize it so it adds a touch of brown to the red. Do you know what happens to red when you add a touch of brown? It deepens the red. We are using the same principle here. Just add a dash of brown to the red, which is why we want to make sure we just caramelize it not burn it.
- Use a deep Dutch oven or heavy bottom saute pan to prevent sticking and splattering.
- If you want a chunkier marinara sauce, don't blend the tomatoes - crush them with your hands or a potato masher
- If you don't want to use fresh tomatoes use my recipe for marinara sauce in 20 minutes using canned tomatoes
- If the tomato sauce is too thick - add a little water to bring it back to consistency.
What can you do with this marinara sauce?
- Pasta sauce - Simmer 2 cups marina sauce, add ¼ cup cream, ¼ cup Parmesan sauce, and fresh basil - serve over boiled pasta.
- Quick pizza sauce - If you thicken the marinara sauce it works perfectly as a pizza sauce. Add some topping and some cheese before baking. See all my pizza recipes here.
- Mushroom Pasta - Saute 1 lb mushrooms, then add 2 cup marinara sauce, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, and some fresh basil. Add 1 lb boiled pasta.
- Quick spaghetti bolognese - brown 1 lbs ground beef, add 2 cups marinara sauce, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup fresh cream, and fresh basil. Serve over boiled spaghetti pasta.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 77- kcalCarbohydrates: 16- gProtein: 3- gFat: 1- gSaturated Fat: 1- gSodium: 400- mgPotassium: 677- mgFiber: 4- gSugar: 9- gVitamin A: 2691- IUVitamin C: 37- mgCalcium: 47- mgIron: 1- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Joan
Did this recipe from fresh tomatoes to Bolognese sauce. Very tasty and easy to make. Wanted a little more saucy so added one can of tomato sauce. Overall flavor of this recipe was delightful. Thank you!
Veena Azmanov
Happy you enjoyed this sauce, Joan. Thank you for the lovey feedback.
Eva
Ooof, 1tbsp of chili flakes might be a bit much if you don’t love spice. Maybe start with 1tsp. I ended up going to get more tomatoes, more than doubling the recipe to try to tone it down a bit, but it still seems pretty spicy. Super tasty thought will definitely make this again when more tomatoes ripen!
Veena Azmanov
Sorry, Eva. You are right. It should be 1 tsp. I am so sorry about that. I truly apologize. I made a type error.
Eva
Haha all good, I have a nice arrabiata sauce now! ?
Veena Azmanov
Thanks for being so understanding Eva. Appreciate it
Linda
Made sauce tonight but way too chunky. Saw this recipe and am wondering where the video is? Your sauce looks delicious!!
Veena Azmanov
Linda, all tomatoes are different so the consistency may be more or less but you can add more water to bring to consistency. My video is in the recipe card.
:)
I also don't see the video under the recipe card
Veena Azmanov
There is a video in the recipe card. If you still dont' see it. There is a direct link to the recipe video in the title on the top of the page. Thanks
Natalie
I love that you used fresh tomatoes. Tomatoes are now in season and so delicious. The texture is just amazing. I must give your recipe a try.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Natalie
JC
I had a lot of fresh tomatoes and used this recipe as my first attempt at marinara sauce. It was fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Natalie.
Liz Cleland
I am actually cooking spaghetti with red sauce tonight! I add fresh rosemary in mine but will be trying this recipe too. I love to can and have several options in my pantry.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Liz. Yes, this is so delicious. You must try