Hearty Marinara Sauce
Make this big batch marinara sauce with less salt and sugar than store bought. Since it's a big batch, freeze half for your next Italian feast.
Equipment
- 1 6 qt Stock Pot or 6-3/4 qt Enamel Coated Cast Iron Pot
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil extra virgin
- 1-1/2 cups Onion chopped
- 5-8 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 28 oz San Marzano Tomatoes whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 12 oz Tomato Paste
- 1 qt Water
- 2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
- 1/4 cup Fresh Basil chopped
- 1 Parmesan Rind optional
- 1 cup Red Wine optional
- 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flake optional
- 2 tsp Honey optional
Instructions
- Over medium heat, sauté onions in olive oil with a sprinkle of salt until translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds (don't burn the garlic or it will taste bitter).
- Add 2 cans of San Marzano Tomatoes (see notes). Using a wooden spoon or spatula, break up the whole tomatoes so there aren't any large chunks. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and 1 quart of water. Gently stir into sauce until combined. Add fresh basil, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. If using a parmesan rind (see note), red wine, honey or red pepper flake add those in now.
- Simmer for up to 2 hours with lid partially open to let out the steam. Sauce will reduce making it thicker. Taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper.
- Enjoy with pasta, or any of the suggestions in the post above.
- This is a double batch of sauce. To store leftovers, let cool and place in zip top freezable bags or glass jars. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in a sink full of cool water or place in refrigerator the day before use.
Video
Notes
-San Marzano tomatoes are the best for making sauce. They have less seeds, are slightly more sweet than regular tomatoes (eliminating the need to add sugar), and have a rich robust flavor (see post for more details).
If using a different type of tomato, you may need to add a few teaspoons of honey to balance the acidity.
-Parmesan rind adds the parmesan flavor without having to grate the cheese. Whenever you are at the end of your wedge, stick it in a freezable zip top bag and put in freezer until you make this recipe or another soup recipe.
If there is anything left of the rind when sauce is done, remove and discard.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 36kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 0.1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 296mgPotassium: 19mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 21IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!